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GUILTLESS CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH PASTA

Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller & Clean Eating

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1./2 cup onion, divided
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4  tsp. ground pepper
• 4 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. cooked penne (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. 
3. Add 1 tsp. oregano and stir to coat.  Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. 
4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesan, remaining 1 tsp. oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.  Mix with a fork to combine. 
6. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with the Dijon mustard.  Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides. 
7. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray. 
8. Bake 20 minutes.
9. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tbsp. of tomato sauce and 2 tbsp. mozzarella. 
10. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crush is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce.  Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil. 

Gather The Ingredients

Simmering The Sauce

Panko Breading

Mustard – So Much More Flavorful Than Egg

Mozzarella and Homemade Sauce – Yes please…

The End Result…

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