Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Breaded Italian seasoned chicken breasts sautéed and baked with marinara sauce with parmesan and mozzarella, served over spaghetti.

This recipe for Chicken Parmesan Pasta is a classic Italian-American comfort dish. Starting with two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the meat is tenderized and seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, and an Italian seasoning blend. The chicken is then double-coated in a breading made from a mixture of dried plain and panko bread crumbs, adhered with a beaten egg. The breaded chicken is sautéed in a mix of cooking oil and butter until golden and crispy. For assembling, half of a jar of marinara sauce is poured into a baking dish, topped with the cooked chicken, then smothered with the remaining sauce. A generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese, along with a touch more Italian seasoning, completes the layering. The dish is baked at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, spaghetti is cooked to al dente and served as a base for the savory, cheesy baked chicken. This recipe perfectly combines tender chicken, crisp breading, rich tomato sauce, and a melty cheese topping, making it an irresistible meal for any occasion.

Servings

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

60 minutes

Ingredients

Kosher salt, black pepper, dried Italian seasoning blend (for seasoning)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
4 ounces dried spaghetti
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Prepare Chicken:

Place chicken breasts in a sealed bag and pound gently to tenderize.
Season both sides of the breasts with kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning blend.

Prepare Breading:

In one dish, beat an egg with a tablespoon of water.
Mix plain and panko bread crumbs in a separate dish.

Bread Chicken:

Dip each chicken breast into the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat this process to double coat each breast, using up the egg and breadcrumb mixture.

Sauté Chicken:

Heat cooking oil over medium heat in a sauté pan, then add butter until melted.
Cook breaded chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.

Assemble in Baking Dish:

Pour half of the marinara sauce into a 7×10 inch baking dish.
Place the sautéed chicken breasts on top, then cover with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan, followed by shredded mozzarella over the chicken. Finish with a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning.

Bake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake the assembled dish for 30 minutes, then allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

Cook Spaghetti:

While the chicken is baking, cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.

Serve:

Serve the baked chicken and sauce over the cooked and drained spaghetti.

Pound the chicken breasts in a sealed bag to help tenderize the meat.

Season both sides of the breasts with kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning blend. Beat 1 egg with a tablespoon of water in one dish, and 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs and 1/2 cup panko crumbs in a separate dish.

Dip each breast into the beaten egg, then dredge in the bread crumb mix. Repeat dipping and dredging again to double coat and use all of the egg and crumbs.