Italian in no time
It only looks complicated. With advance prep and a little practice, you can have this entree on the table in half an hour.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to ¼-inch thick)
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
Linguine, cooked according to directions and kept warm
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 large Roma tomato, cut into 8 slices
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup pasta sauce, heated
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Rinse and pat dry chicken; season with salt and pepper. In a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add oil. While pasta is cooking, place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in bread crumbs and add to skillet. (If skillet is small, cook two at a time.) Cook 3–5 minutes on each side until brown and reaches 165 F. Add 2 tomato slices and 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each chicken cutlet. Cover, turn off heat and allow cheese to melt, about 2 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce. To serve, place each cutlet on a bed of linguine and sprinkle with basil.
Chef’s tips
Pound away Pounding boneless, skinless chicken breasts makes them even in thickness and tenderizes the meat, allowing it to cook faster. No meat mallet? No problem. Just cover the chicken with plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it 2–3 times with the flat bottom of a cast-iron skillet.
Perfect pasta To keep pasta from sticking, follow manufacturer’s instructions—do not overcook. After draining pasta, add it back to the pot and stir in 1–2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cover and keep warm. Do not rinse pasta or add olive oil. Both of these steps prevent sauces from absorbing into the pasta.
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