Description
The whole family will love this EASY chicken parmesan made in a skillet and served over pasta. All the delicious flavor, none of the fuss.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb. chicken tenders (skinless, boneless)
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 16 oz. short pasta like cavatappi
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 cups high-quality marinara sauce (16 oz.)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- olive oil, flaky sea salt, red pepper flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients:
Dice onion.
Mince garlic.
Cut chicken into 1″ pieces and season with sea salt. (Using kitchen shears makes this quick!)
Start boiling pasta water. - Cook pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted water, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, cook chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and chicken and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. (Turn down the heat to medium if things are browning.)
- While chicken is cooking, melt butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add panko bread crumbs. Stir frequently and cook until golden brown, removing from heat and transferring to a bowl immediately to stop cooking.
- When the chicken is cooked through, stir in marinara sauce. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir mozzarella cheese into the cooked chicken mixture.
- Place a serving of pasta onto a plate and top with chicken mixture, toasted bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store breadcrumbs separately in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat chicken and pasta leftovers in the microwave or a hot skillet and top with bread crumbs.
- Ingredient notes: Thin-cut chicken breasts work best, but you could also use chicken thighs if you prefer. Definitely use panko breadcrumbs! Traditional breadcrumbs won’t toast up as well. You can find them in the breadcrumb or Asian section.
- Make it creamy. If you want a super creamy chicken parm, drizzle in a bit of heavy cream right when you take it off the heat, before stirring in the mozzarella cheese.
- Helpful tools: A large oven-safe skillet works best for cooking everything together and finishing under the broiler.
- Serve with: Garlic bread, Caesar salad, or steamed broccoli for a complete Italian-inspired dinner.