Start by heating up your marinara sauce on the stove
While the marinara sauce heats up, prep the spaghetti pasta
In a large pot of boiling water, add a generous amount of salt
Once it comes to a rolling boil, add in your pasta and cook it according to the package instructions
Once pasta is done, remove from heat, drain and set aside.
Now for the chicken. Butterfly the chicken breasts into even pieces, as flat as possible
Once the chicken is sliced, place the chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper.
Use a rolling pin to pound the chicken with firm, even strokes from the center outward.
Set up the breading station with shallow bowls for the flour, egg wash mixture, and Parmesan and breadcrumb mixture.
Season the flour with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix
To make the egg wash, crack two eggs into a dish. Add a tablespoon of milk or water and whisk until fully mixed.
For the breadcrumb mixture, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, panko, ¼ cup of Parmesan, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Mix
Before you start breading, season both sides the chicken breasts with salt and pepper
To bread each cutlet, start by dredging both sides in the seasoned flour.
Next, dip it in the egg wash. Make sure both sides are fully coated
Lastly, into the breadcrumb mixture press it into it firmly
Make sure to press both sides so the breadcrumbs stick to the egg wash
Place each breaded cutlet on a wire rack set over a baking sheet
Once all chicken cutlets are breaded, slide the rack into the refrigerator for about 10 to 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, it’s time to start frying. Pour ¼ inch of neutral oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet.
Heat it over medium-high heat
Fry each cutlet into the oil, place them in the pan away from you
Cook each cutlet for about two minutes on each side.
Once each side is done, flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until golden
Repeat until all cutlets are fried
Transfer the fried cutlets to a wire rack
In a baking dish, place your chicken cutlets on a single layer
To prevent soggy chicken parm, start with some basil and a generous serving of mozzarella chees
Spoon some of that warm marinara onto the center of each cutlet
Top the marinara sauce with provolone cheese, mozzarella, and finish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
When you’re done, slide the baking dish into the preheated 450°F oven
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
Pull the pan from the oven and let the cutlets rest on the rack for 3 minutes before serving
While the chicken rests, it’s time to plate the pasta we made earlier
Toss it with some of that warm marinara sauce.
To serve, use a spatula to transfer each cutlet to the plate of pasta
Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.
