Chicken Parmesan with Linguine
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Chicken Parmesan with Linguine was one of the first “Italian” dishes that I learned to make. I’ll never forget pouring in the wine and thinking how tantalizing the sauce smelled with its crushed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. And it tasted even better.
I thought it strange to call this recipe Chicken Parmesan when it has very little Parmesan in it. But according to Wikipedia, the name of the dish isn’t about the cheese, it’s about the region where it originated in Parma, Italy. Even more odd, is that you won’t find this dish on an Italian menu. Instead you’ll find Eggplant Parmisiana. The breaded chicken version apparently originated in America, by Italian immigrants who enjoyed the addition of meat, which was also more readily available and affordable.
Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken Parmesan with Linguine
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- all-purpose flour
- seasoned salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- butter
- sweet onion
- garlic
- dry red wine
- canned plum tomatoes
- granulated sugar
- parsley, dried or fresh
- basil, dried or fresh
- mozzarella cheese
- linguine (dried or freshly made) See my Homemade Pasta Recipe Here.
- freshly grated Parmesan for topping
Instructions for Making This Recipe
If you’re going to make fresh linguine, you’ll want to mix it up at the very beginning and let it hang to dry until ready to use in step #6. See my Homemade Pasta Recipe Here.
To begin this recipe, gather all your ingredients and have them close at hand on the counter or table. Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Shred the mozzarella cheese and set aside until ready to use at the last.
Hand Crush Whole Tomatoes for Optimum Results
Place the plum tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hand. I find that crushing your own offers a perfect combination of chunky tomatoes and thick juice.
Prepare the Chicken
Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound the chicken breasts so that they are 1/4 – 1/2″ thick. (I like to place the chicken in a plastic freezer bag to do this, for less mess.)
Heat oil and butter in a large cast-iron skillet or shallow Dutch oven on medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of the chicken, you may need to do this in multiple steps. Place chicken on a plate or tray and cover to keep warm.
Make the Sauce
Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Pour in wine and stir occasionally until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
Use Fresh Herbs Whenever You Can for the Freshest Taste
Add to this the hand crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, salt and black pepper, parsley and basil. I like to use fresh herbs when in season. Allow the sauce to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Oh, and in case I forget to tell you, always taste your food as it cooks. Sometimes I forget to do that, and then if it’s lacking something, I suddenly remember, “Oh no, I forgot to taste it.” We all need reminders sometimes.
While the sauce simmers, cook the linguine according to package directions to al dente.
Nestle the chicken breasts on top of the sauce and cover each with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Place skillet under broiler and cook for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
Serve sauce and chicken over prepared linguine. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and/or basil, if desired. This recipe will serves 4-6 people.
My wine recommendation for this recipe is a nice Chianti or Pinot Noir.
See more Italian Dishes Here. See more Chicken Recipes Here.
Chicken Parmesan with Linguine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded flat
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 56 oz canned plum tomatoes crushed by hand
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons freshly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons freshly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz Mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 pound linguine See my Homemade Recipe Here.
- freshly grated Parmesan for topping
Instructions
- If you're preparing fresh linguine, you'll want to make and roll the pasta first, then allow it to hang dry until ready to use in step #6.
- To begin, gather all your ingredients and have them close at hand on the counter or table. Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside until ready to use at the last. Place the plum tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hand. Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound the chicken breasts so that they are 1/4 - 1/2" thick. (I like to place the chicken in a plastic freezer bag to do this, for less mess.)
- On a large plate, mix together flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil and butter in a large cast-iron skillet or shallow Dutch oven on medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of the chicken, you may need to do this in multiple steps. Place chicken on a plate or tray and cover to keep warm.
- Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Pour in wine and stir occasionally until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Add to this the crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, parsley and basil. I like to use fresh herbs when in season. Allow to sauce to simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the linguine according to package directions to al dente.
- Nestle the chicken breasts on top of the sauce and cover them with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Place skillet under broiler and cook for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
- Serve sauce and chicken over prepared linguine. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and more basil if desired. Serves 4-6.
When you say whole chicken breasts do you mean a half breast that is typically sold at the grocery store? Many recipes these days say “whole” but those are hard to find. This sounds so yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Nancy, For this recipe, I usually buy the boneless, skinless chicken breasts that come in a 2.5 pound package in the freezer section. I’ve found that those breasts tend to be somewhat flat, and a nice size for this recipe. I believe it’s Best Choice, but there are probably other brands that are the same. Hope that helps.