I practically drool just thinking about this delicious chicken parmesan. Lightly browned melted gooey cheese and fresh basil top these crispy breaded chicken breasts lying on a bed of tomato sauce with a side order of spaghetti. This is food that comforts the soul!
This delicious chicken parmesan is one of my favorite Italian dishes and I thought this recipe needed a little more love. It has been buried away and gotten lost in The Mountain Kitchen archives. As a new food blogger, in 2013, I don’t think I really did this chicken parmesan recipe justice, so I have decided to share this recipe again.
I first wrote about this delicious chicken parmesan recipe back in July of 2013, when my BFF, Suzan and her husband Steve came to visit us on the mountain. The weather wasn’t all that great and that makes grilling outside a little messy, so I decided to make chicken parmesan for them for supper that Saturday night, with homemade spaghetti. I love to make fresh homemade pasta and thought that it would be like dinner and a show. Needless to say, we all left the table fat and sassy that night.
If there is one thing that I have learned about this chicken parmesan recipe, it is that it is a NO-FAIL recipe. This recipe turns out perfect every time, even when you are busy hanging out with your best friend, drinking a little wine and talking way too much to pay attention to what you are doing.
Here’s how I make this delicious chicken parmesan with spaghetti:
Cover a large sheet pan with foil or grease a large baking dish. Set aside.
Prep the chicken. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound out chicken to ½-inch thickness.
Combine breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne in a pie plate. Add the flour to a shallow plate and lightly beat the eggs inside another shallow bowl or pie plate.
Coat each breast with the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip each breast into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Set coated chicken aside on a plate. Let the chicken sit for at least ten minutes so that the batter will adhere to the chicken better when frying.
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add chicken to the pan, cooking two pieces at a time. Cook until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side. Place them on a paper towel on a plate to allow excess oil to drain before adding to the baking pan.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Stir together all of the tomato sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Heat the sauce through, stirring often. Do not boil or simmer. Keep the tomato sauce and pasta warm until needed.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread about one cup of the tomato sauce into a thin layer onto the bottom of the prepared baking sheet or dish. Place each chicken breast into the sauce, leaving a little room between each breast, for even cooking. Top each breast with about two tablespoons of the tomato sauce and spread out. Sprinkle each breast with the mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese and a dash of oregano.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. (I usually speed up the cheese browning, by turning on the broiler for the last few minutes, until that mozzarella is golden.)
Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
To serve, divide the spaghetti between four serving plates. Top the pasta with the remaining tomato sauce and one of the baked cheesy chicken breast. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread, or perhaps a tossed green salad, for something lighter.
Recipe Notes:
If you don’t like spicy foods, DO NOT let the cayenne pepper scare you off! It provides a warmth to this dish but is not overpowering in any way. Just enough is added to provide an extra depth of flavor.
Using the broiler during the final minutes of baking allows the cheese to brown up nicely, just keep your eye on it and don’t let it burn!
I have made this chicken parmesan countless times, but not often enough. It’s a classic recipe that’s just heartwarming and good. David and I both love chicken parmesan served with a side order of spaghetti, topped with the extra sauce leftover from the chicken and French bread with butter. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
Italian comfort food at its best!
Photo of Debbie making pasta by Suzan Q.
Chicken Parmesan With Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 ½ cups plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan freshly grated, divided
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano + extra sprinkle for topping cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup all-purpose flour on a shallow plate
- 2 eggs lightly beaten, in a pie plate
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- prepared tomato sauce recipe to follow
- 1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella shredded
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- fresh basil for serving (optional)
Tomato Sauce:
- 42 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pound out chicken to ½-inch thickness using a mallet.Combine breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne in a pie plate. Add the flour to a shallow plate and lightly beat the eggs inside another shallow bowl or pie plate.
Coat each breast in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip each breast into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Set coated chicken aside on a plate. Let the chicken sit for at least ten minutes so that the batter will adhere to the chicken better when frying. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Carefully add chicken to the pan, cooking two pieces at a time. Cook until golden on both sides. Place them on a paper towel in a plate to allow excess oil to drain before adding to the baking dish. - Spread one cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place each chicken breast into the sauce. Top each breast with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
- To serve, divide the spaghetti between four serving plates. Top the pasta with the remaining tomato sauce and one of the baked cheesy chicken breast. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread, or perhaps a tossed green salad, for something lighter.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tasty Eats Ronit Penso says
Mouthwatering dish! 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you, Ronit! 🙂
Debbie - MountainMama says
My favorite dinner of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never added Cayenne to my chicken parm, I’ll have to try that next time! Hope all is well in your world, Mountain Sister!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Debbie!! Definitely give the cayenne a shake or two. It really rounds off the flavor. I’m doing well. I hope you are too! <3
Antonia (Zoale) says
One of my all time favorite dishes! Yours looks incredibly delicious!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you Antonia! 😊
Rachel says
Oh, yeah, I’m drooling too.This looks INCREDIBLE.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Darlin’!
dianecayton says
Looks so yummy! We haven’t had chicken parm in a while so this is going on the list! Thanks!! xo Hope the windstorm that moved through didn’t hit you too hard. We lost power for 21 hours.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Diane! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. We faired pretty well during the terrible storm. We lost power but it was restored in less than 24-hours. I have been out of work since Friday, because the building I work in hasn’t had power. I will be going to work tomorrow though. Hope you all faired well also!
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
A favorite Italian dish very similar to one I make – but I don’t add cayenne. The next time I make it I will be sure to add some cayenne.
The Mountain Kitchen says
You will be surprised what it does to this dish! 😉
FrugalHausfrau says
I think that has to be the best chicken parm I’ve ever seen! Lovely recipe!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Mollie!
Buycialis says
… Chicken Piccata is one of Charles”s favorites. Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian dish with breaded chicken and a butter white wine caper sauce. I always add mushrooms since it adds a vegetable, and mushrooms soak up the sauce beautifully. I like to serve this chicken on egg noodles. I do try to make this as healthy as possible by reducing the amount of butter. I make this recipe often; when I want to be extra healthy I skip breading the chicken and just bake it. I have made this dish many times, and the recipe can be found here. …
Karen says
I can’t tell you how often my husband asks for this dish, it is one of his favorites. I know he would love yours.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you, Karen. Hope you are doing well!
Jhuls says
Ohhhh! This is so good. My mouth is watering now. 😀
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you! <3