How to Cook · Pan-Frying
Chicken Parmesan
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This recipe references
An Italian-American classic. Browned and melted cheese over a chicken cutlet with tomato sauce, like the offspring of pizza and fried chicken.
- Prep
- Cook
- Total
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Category
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- Italian-American
Ingredients
For the breading (optional)
For the sauce
Directions
Notes on basil
Fresh basil makes all the difference for a tomato sauce, but it goes bad quickly, and it can be hard to find depending on the time of year and where you live. That is why I keep a jar of pesto on hand. It keeps for a long time, and it has that fresh basil taste — fresh enough, in a pinch. Basil paste serves the same purpose. Never buy dried basil. It has no flavor, and doesn't belong in the kitchen.
Start the sauce
Put a pot of well-salted water on for the linguine. Warm the ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 10–15 minutes. Stir in the basil, or the pesto or basil paste, off the heat.
Pound the cutlets
While the sauce simmers, butterfly each chicken breast — slicing horizontally through the thickest part, then open it like a book — then pound it to an even ½ inch (1 cm) between two sheets of plastic wrap. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
Bread the chicken
Skip this step if you are not breading the chicken. Add salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs. Dredge each cutlet in the flour, dip it in the beaten egg, and press it into the breadcrumbs.
Cook the chicken
Heat the 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the seasoned cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through, then transfer to a baking tray.
Top and broil
This and the next step can be done simultaneously.
Set aside about 1 cup (240 ml) of the sauce. Spoon it over the cutlets, cover with the provolone, and broil 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Sauce the linguine
Cook the linguine in the boiling water until al dente. Toss the pasta with the remaining sauce and finish with grated Parmesan cheese, then serve it with the chicken.
Pan-Frying
