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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 Parmigiana. 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.
Pairing pasta with a red sauce is heaven to me. The aroma and the taste, accompanied by a glass of wine, of course, leaves me quite satisfied. I don’t even crave dessert, afterward. And that, to me, says so much.
Ingredients for Chicken Parmesan with Linguine
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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. 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
Place the plum tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hand. I find that crushing whole tomatoes offers a perfect combination of chunky tomatoes and thick juice.
Hand crush whole tomatoes for optimum results. Another option is to use a combination of canned crushed tomatoes and a can of petite diced tomatoes.
Cook the Chicken
Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound the chicken breasts so they are 1/4 – 1/2″ thick.
For less mess, I like to place the chicken in a plastic freezer bag to do this, using the flat portion of the mallet.
On a large plate, mix together the all-purpose flour, seasoned salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge the flattened chicken in the flour mixture so that both sides are nicely covered.
Heat extra virgin olive 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 Red Sauce
Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook in the remaining oils for 2 minutes until translucent.
Pour in wine and stir occasionally until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
Add to this the hand crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, parsley and basil. I like to use fresh herbs when in season. Allow the sauce to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Use fresh herbs whenever you can for the freshest taste, either grown in your garden or purchased at the store. 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.
Finish the Dish
Turn on the oven broiler so it can heat up a few minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the linguine according to package directions to al dente.
If you are making fresh pasta for this recipe, remember that it will not take as long to cook, around 2-3 minutes, so you can easily save this step for last.
Nestle the chicken breasts in the sauce and cover each with the sliced mozzarella cheese. Cover with a lid and allow the cheese to melt for 2-3 minutes in the pan.
Place the skillet or pan under a hot broiler and cook for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
Serve sauce and chicken over prepared linguine. If desired, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and/or basil. This recipe will serve 4-6 people. My wine recommendation for this recipe is a nice Chianti or Pinot Noir.
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Chicken Parmesan with Linguine
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
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
Red Sauce
- 1 cup sweet onion (diced)
- 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 (sliced)
- 1 pound linguine (See my Homemade Recipe Here.)
- Parmesan (Freshly grated, for garnish)
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.
- To begin, gather all your ingredients and have them close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Using a Chef's knife and cutting board, dice the sweet onion. Mince the garlic.
- Slice the mozzarella cheese in 1/4" pieces and grate the Parmesan with a fine-edged grater. Set aside until ready to use at the last.
- Place the plum tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hand. (Alternately, you may use half canned crushed tomatoes and half petite diced tomatoes for about the same consistency.)
Cook 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.)
- On a large plate, mix together the all-purpose flour, seasoned salt, and freshly ground 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.
Prepare the Red Sauce
- Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook in remaining oils for 2 minutes until translucent.
- Pour in dry red wine and stir occasionally until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
- Add to this the crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus the fresh or dried parsley and basil. Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Finish the Dish
- While the sauce simmers, cook the linguine according to package directions to al dente. Turn on the oven broiler so it has time to heat up.
- Nestle the chicken breasts in the sauce and cover them with the sliced mozzarella cheese. Cover and allow the cheese to melt for 2-3 minutes.
- 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.