Chicken Parmesan served with Lemon Garlic Speghetti

A healthy spin on your usual breaded Chicken Parmesan. This one doesn't come with the breadcrumbs but it is packed with flavor!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped  parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 (3-ounces each) chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce, recipe follows / purchased marinara or arabiatta (if you like it spicy) sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 16 teaspoons grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix in oil and herbs (I let it sit for atleast 15 minutes, so flavors infuse). Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the chicken with the herb oil. Heat your skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Giada's Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
• Red pepper flakes (to add spiciness if desired)

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

The speghetti is very light yet flavorful. It really surprised me, I was expecting it to be boring.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound speghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2  cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Handful finely chopped parsley

Directions 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot (follow instructions on box).

Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, chicken stock, and the cream to the garlic and oil. Bring it to a boil.When pasta is ready add lemon zest. Add cheese to the sauce, and season to taste. Mix the sauce in with pasta, toss around for 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley after plating.