When you are seeking comfort, filling dishes I always hear people talking about how much they love this dish. So, I figured it’s time I give it a try. Yes, this is a higher calorie dish, yes this is a higher carbohydrate dish, BUT it is still a WHOLE lot healthier than going out to a restaurant and ordering it. And lets not forget to highlight the protein to carb ratio here, the micronutients are great, almost 1,000mg of potassium, over 100% of calcium and close to 100% of Vitamin A & C. Have this for dinner tonight and then make tomorrow more of a cardio focused circuit. Enjoy!
Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1/2 of dish
Ingredients:
- Sauce
- 1 (28oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic gloves – minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil – chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar, plus extra as needed
- salt
- Chicken & Spaghetti
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese – grated
- 12 ounces chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 oz (1/4 cup) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 oz (1/4 cup) fontina cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil – chopped
- 4 ounces spaghetti
Directions:
- Sauce: Cook oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until garlic is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook until sauce has begun to thicken, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar and salt to taste, cover to keep warm and set aside.
- Chicken: Heat broiler to high. Combine mozzarella and fontina cheese in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, add flour on a small bowl, beat egg in a second small bowl and combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in a third small bowl. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour, dip in egg and coat with bread-crumb mixture, pressing firmly to adhere.
- Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned on both sides and chicken registers 165*F. Transfer chicken to rimmed lined baking sheet and pat excess oil off with paper towels.
- Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over chicken, broil until cheese is melted and brown on top rack of heated oven. Transfer chicken to serving plate, top each breasts with 2 tablespoons of warmed tomato sauce and sprinkle with basil.
- Spaghetti: While chicken cooks, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add spaghetti and 1/2 tablespoon salt, cook, stirring often until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, drain spaghetti and return to pot. Add warmed sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding reserved cooking water as desired for consistency.
- Serve chicken with pasta on the side and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Per serving: Calories: 987; Total Fat: 34g; Cholesterol: 147mg; Sodium: 727mg; Total Carbohydrates: 106g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugars: 14g; Protein: 65g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 909mg; Vitamin A: 73%; Vitamin C: 89%; Calcium: 104%; Iron: 14%
Modified from: America’s Test Kitchen (2014). “Chicken Parmesan.” The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook. Boston: America’s Test Kitchen, 2014. 108. Print.
