Crispy Chicken Parm Baked Ziti

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat over to 425F

Step 2

In a large pot, bring salted water to a rapid boil

Step 3

Take your chicken breasts and slice them horizontally into thinner cutlets. If they're still thick, give them a gentle pound so they're roughly ½-inch thick. Then cut each cutlet into smaller pieces—roughly 2–3 bite pieces.

Step 4

Prepare breading station Bowl #1 — flour 1 cup flour 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Bowl #2 — egg wash 2 eggs 2 tbsp milk Whisk 'em together. Bowl #3 — crispy coating 1½ cups panko ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp Italian seasoning Black pepper Small pinch of salt ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan/Italian cheese if you have it

Step 5

Coat chicken cutlets in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then panko mixture. Set aside.

Step 6

Cook 12oz pasta until just shy of al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Set aside 1-1 1/2 cups pasta water for sauce. Drain pasta. Do not rinse. In a large skillet, add 2 tbsp butter and minced garlic. Sautée until fragrant. Add jar of pasta sauce. Add pasta. Stir until well-coated. There should be slightly more sauce than pasta. Thin the sauce slightly with 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water. Simmer on low heat until everything is hot, then turn off the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese. It should get gooey and stringy.

Step 7

Spread pasta and sauce mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with an additional layer of mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Step 8

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with about 1/4 inch of neutral cooking oil (I used vegetable oil). Once it is hot, lay the chicken cutlets in the oil and fry for 2-4 minutes per side. Panko breading will become golden and crispy. Place on wire rack or paper towels to cool. Do not overcrowd the skillet when frying, do the cutlets in batches of 3-4 at a time.

Step 9

Arrange chicken on top of pasta in the baking dish. Top with more cheese if desired. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Serve and enjoy!