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Chicken Parmesan

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food"


Recipe Introduction

"An icon of Italian-American cooking, this version of chicken Parmesan shows the dish at its best—baked chicken with homemade marinara sauce and a topping of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Unlike other versions, the chicken is not breaded, making this a much lighter rendition."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
â—¦ 1 yellow onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 can (28 ounces) canned plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
â—¦ ½ cup dry white wine
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
â—¦ 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 7 ounces each), halved
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
â—¦ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil


Recipe

To make the tomato sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about one-quarter, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. One at a time, on a work surface, place a chicken breast half between two plastic storage bags. Using the flat side of a meat pounder, pound the chicken until it is about ½-inch thick. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. In batches to avoid crowding, add the chicken and cook until the underside is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking just until the other side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. The chicken should not be cooked all the way through, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer to a plate.

Pour the hot tomato sauce into the baking dish. Arrange the chicken breast halves in the sauce (the tops should be visible) and top each with an equal amount of mozzarella. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the chicken and sauce. Bake just until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, the mozzarella is melted, and the chicken shows no sign of pink when cut in the center with a small sharp knife, 10 to 15 minutes.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the basil over the chicken and sauce. Using a large spoon, divide the chicken breast and sauce among four dinner plates. Serve at once.

Makes 4 servings



• Change It Up:
It's not Italian, but shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese (about an ounce per chicken breast) are both good substitutes for the mozzarella. Instead of pasta, consider rice as a gluten-free side dish.