Description

Chicken parmesan, or parmigiana as you may see it on countless Italian-American restaurant menus, is very much an American dish that has roots in the East Coast Italian diaspora. It is inspired by eggplant parmesan (breaded eggplant in tomato sauce and cheese) and cottoleta (fried breaded chicken or veal served with sauce). The resulting dish is the perfect combination of crispy breaded chicken, rich cheesy goodness, and tangy tomato sauce.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Heat the oven to 350 F.
3. Put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
5. Place the seasoned breadcrumbs in a different wide and shallow bowl.
6. Dip the flattened chicken breasts in the milk and egg mixture and then in the seasoned breadcrumbs, turning each piece to coat it evenly.
7. In a large skillet or sauté pan heat 1 inch of olive oil over medium heat until hot (if you dip a corner of a breaded chicken breast in the oil it should sizzle briskly). Be careful not to burn it, as olive oil achieves the smoke point fairly fast.
8. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
9. Pour 1/3 of the pasta sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place the chicken on top and use 7 mozzarella slices to cover the chicken.
10. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Tear the remaining mozzarella slice into pieces and scatter on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
11. While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti or linguine in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain well.
12. Serve the chicken with the pasta, bread, and a tossed green salad.