patrickcrise

To me, there is something special about a well-executed chicken parmesan. While it’s pretty good no matter how you make it, putting in a little extra effort and paying attention to the details really takes it to the next level. This recipe may be a little more involved than a normal recipe, but it only uses ingredients and equipment that I expect a normal home cook to possess. If you have an hour or so to prepare dinner, I implore you to make this, as I think it highlights all of what makes this dish amazing: crispy, juicy chicken, melted cheese, and a savory tomato sauce served over pasta.

Chicken Parmesan and Sauce Recipe (serves 4):

Ingredients:

Chicken Parmesan:

4 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 eggs
2 cups flour

Tomato Sauce:

1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly cracked pepper
4.5 ounces or one can of tomato paste
28 ounce can of tomato sauce, or blended whole peeled tomatoes
4 ounces white wine or 4 ounces water with a splash of white balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil (optional)

2 cups vegetable oil or light olive oil

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into slices

Instructions:

Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and allow them to sweat for five minutes, then add the garlic. After one minute, add the tomato paste and the red pepper flakes. After cooking for two minutes, deglaze the sauce with white wine or water with white balsamic vinegar. After adding the tomato sauce/blended tomatoes and basil, allow everything to simmer until the chicken is ready. The sauce should be thick, otherwise it will spill over the chicken and make it soggy.

Fried Chicken: Begin by cutting the chicken breasts along the long side almost to the end, being sure not to cut it all the way through. Unfold the chicken breast and pound it flat using either a meat mallet or a rolling pin, and use plastic wrap to ensure sanitation. Next, prepare a breading station for the butterflied chicken breasts. Prepare three plates: one with plain flour, one with beaten eggs, and the last with the breadcrumbs, spices, and parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken in the flour and dust off the excess. Then coat it in the egg wash and allow the excess to drip off. Finally coat it with breadcrumbs, ensuring that the chicken is fully covered. Place the chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. I suggest breading all of the chicken before frying it. To fry, heat two cups of oil on medium heat in a wide pan. Then, place one piece of chicken and allow it to fry until golden brown. Place it on a fresh baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Once all the chicken is fried, cover the center of each piece with sauce and two slices of mozzarella cheese. Do not cover the entirety with sauce; by leaving the edges bare, you ensure that some bites remain crispy. Place under a broiler until the mozzarella is melted and begins to brown. Garnish with basil, freshly grated parmesan, and serve over sauced pasta. I like to add sauce on the side, which allows me to add sauce to each bite.

Cover photo courtesy of Salt and Lavender

Pasta was the first dish I ever made all on my own, sometime in late elementary school. I’ve been making it ever since, and the biggest revelation I’ve made in that time is that you don’t need to use a pre-made, jarred sauce if you want a quick and easy dinner. This recipe in particular exemplifies all of the reasons why I love pasta: From start to finish, it takes no more than a half hour to make, it only requires easy to find and cheap ingredients, and most of all it’s simply delicious.

Fresh rosemary in a tomato sauce is a highly underrated flavor combination and this recipe allows it to shine in concert with a vibrant sauce with bursts of sausage and garlic. While I love a sauce that simmers for hours, this sauce really allows the simple, fresh ingredients that it possesses to shine. The sausage packs a massive flavor punch, while the combination of tomato paste and white wine makes this sauce taste infinitely more complex than its half-hour cook time would suggest. While the white wine may seem like an odd addition, it adds sweetness and acidity, while the alcohol allows the other flavors to become enhanced – it’s the same reason that vodka sauce is so delicious even though vodka has no flavor. If you can’t get it or don’t drink alcohol, no worries: a combination of water and white balsamic vinegar achieves a similar purpose of deglazing the pan and offering some sweetness and acidity. Of the hundreds of pastas I have made in my lifetime, this is definitely the most delicious relative to how quick and easy it is. While this recipe may seem basic, it allows each ingredient to shine while combining to make a harmonious dish.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb italian sausage, casing removed (sub for vegan sausage if you’re vegetarian)

1 yellow onion, small diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

4.5 oz or one can of tomato paste

28 oz can of tomato sauce, or blended whole peeled tomatoes

4 oz white wine or 4 oz water with a splash of white balsamic vinegar

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced fine

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tsp of salt, rest to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

1 lb pasta of choice, I would recommend bucatini or orecchiette

Grated parmesan (to garnish)

Directions:

Pre-heat a 12-inch pan over medium heat and add olive oil. You can do this in a pot, but it will take longer to get the level of evaporation and caramelization than compared to what you can get in a pan. Remove the sausage from the casing and press into an even layer in the pan. If you don’t hear it sizzling immediately, increase the heat slightly. After the first side is browned, begin to break up the sausage with a spatula and brown the other side. Add the onions and salt immediately, then stir to combine. Salting the onions immediately draws the water out, which allows them to caramelize more quickly. After 5 minutes, the onions should be starting to caramelize and the sausage should be cooked through. Add the garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Adding the rosemary, now as opposed to closer to the end, allows the flavor of the rosemary to perfume the oil and ensure that the floral, herbaceous flavor permeates every bite of the pasta. After one minute, add the tomato paste and spread into an even layer on the pan. After it begins to caramelize – 2 minutes or so – add the wine (or water and vinegar) and stir to deglaze the pan. Make sure that the fond (the brown part stuck to the pan) is removed, as it will flavor the sauce and has the potential to burn if it isn’t stirred into the sauce. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Lower the heat slightly until it lightly bubbles and add a lid or loosely tent with tin foil. Stir intermittently, keeping a close eye to ensure that the sauce doesn’t. Cook the pasta, making sure to add sufficient salt to the pasta cooking water. Stir intermittently. After 15 minutes or so, taste the sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the pasta and garnish with parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper, and a light drizzle of olive oil.

*Optional

Another way I like to serve pasta sometimes is by finishing the pasta in the sauce and tossing it with butter, parmesan, and pasta cooking water to coat the pasta in the sauce ahead of time. Simply drain the pasta when it is slightly underdone and reserve a half cup or so of the pasta cooking water. Turn the heat off of the sauce and let it cool slightly. Add the pasta to the sauce along with 2 tbsp or so of butter, a half cup of parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously to ensure that an emulsion is formed. If it looks too thick add pasta water and if it looks too thin add parmesan to hone in on your ideal texture.