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A simple, yet impressive dish - your guests will think it took you hours to prepare!

I made this dish last night for my wife and a dear friend, and it was absolutely delicious, and surpriisingly simple. Chicken Parmesan.

Start by putting a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. You can use just about any pasta for this dish, but I recommend capellini or angel hair, because they are both very light, and go extremely well with the cheesy chicken.

Have one boneless chicken breast per person - it's best if they are all about the same size.
Trim any excess fat off of each breast and rinse in cold water, then pat dry.
Lightly dredge each breast in flour, then in an egg wash (one egg should be enough for 3-4 breasts.)
After the egg wash, dredge the breasts in bread crumbs (these can be seasoned or not; your choice. I actually use Italian-style bread crumbs, and also add some seasonings to the flour before dredging: oregano, basil, garlic powder, and black pepper.)
After coating the breasts with the bread crumb mixture, set them aside on a plate to sit for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet.
In a saucepan, begin to heat your favorite spaghetti sauce.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Saute the chicken breasts in the skillet over a medium-high flame. 3-4 minutes per side is all you need - until they are lightly browned on both sides.

In an oven-safe baking dish or pan, spoon a small amount of the sauce; just enough to cover the bottom.

Place the chicken breasts in the baking pan and spoon a layer of sauce on top of them. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese and then add a layer of mozarella cheese (the pre-grated variety makes this easier and quicker, as you don't even need to slice the cheese.)

Bake the chicken for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is bubbling.

While the chicken bakes, prepare the pasta.

On a large platter, place the pastain the center, arrange the chicken breasts around it; then cover all with the remainder of the sauce.

If you wish (and I did last night) have some fresh French or Italian bread on hand: Prepare some garlic butter (either with fresh garlic or powder); place buttered slices of bread on a cookie sheet, and put into the oven for the last 5-7 minutes of baking time. Chicken, pasta, and bread will all finish at the same time for a delicious and hearty meal.

Complete prep and cooking time: Approximately 20-25 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Learn more about this author, Brian Russell.
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