Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta spaghetti, fettuccini, linguini or a pasta of your choice
1 – 1½ pound chicken breast cut lengthwise in half (butterfly)
salt and pepper enough to season both sides of each chicken breast
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 cup parmesan cheese grated, divided (½ breading, ½ cheese topping)
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
¼-⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin

For The Sauce:
24 ounces Pasta Sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese cut into 6-9 thin slices, grate remaining mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Directions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, cover, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450º Fahrenheit.

Cut 6-9 thin slices of Mozzarella cheese. Grate the remaining Mozzarella. Set aside.

Grate 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. ½ cup for the breading and ½ cup to sprinkle on the marinara sauce.

Prepare two shallow dishes. The first dish is for the eggs. Use a fork to beat the eggs lightly.

In the second dish, combine ½ cup of Parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Butterfly the chicken. Cover with plastic foil and pound with a meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin) until the slices are thin and tender. Season each side with salt and pepper.

Dip each slice of chicken into the egg wash. Make sure the chicken is fully coated. Transfer the chicken into the bowl with the Parmesan-panko breadcrumb mixture and coat well.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, transfer the chicken into the frying pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides. About 3-5 minutes per side.

Use 2-3 tablespoons of pasta sauce and spread it across a 9×13-inch casserole dish.

Transfer the fried chicken to the casserole dish and coat it with the remaining pasta sauce. Top with mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with the remaining grated Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve the Chicken Parmesan over pasta.

Optional: Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.