Is this really a recipe? You betcha! This recipe gave me a little inspiration and motivation to get it up on the blog. And I think you'll like it! With the lemon zest in the chicken and the basil pesto sauce, it is such a light, refreshing switch up for regular Chicken Parm with marinara sauce. But it still tastes like a traditional Italian dish with the oregano and basil. My kids loved the fried aspect of it. Using panko crumbs made it nice and crunchy while the asiago cheese in the mix totally just blew the flavor out of the water.
It might seem unnecessary to half the chicken breasts, but it's so important. Not only will it ensure that it cooks evenly, but your portion will be perfect. I don't know about you, but a full chicken breast is almost overwhelming when having it with anything else. (Usually I end up cutting part of it off for one of the kiddos.) And because I've started counting calories religiously, I've thrown the calories down at the end of the recipe for you. And yes, it includes the pasta and pesto!
Lemon and Pesto Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
1/2 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 oz. (1/2 package) angel hair pasta
1 cup basil pesto sauce
Directions:
1. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts in half, horizontally, and pound with a meat mallet until even thickness. Set aside.
2. Combine egg and flour in a bowl and whisk with a fork until flour is incorporated. In a shallow bowl, combine panko crumbs, asiago cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, and lemon zest. Toss with a fork to mix well. Combine mozzarella and parmesan cheeses in a separate bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet. Dip chicken into egg mixture, coating well, and allow excess to drip off. Place in panko mixture, using hands to thoroughly coat chicken. Place into hot skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, turning only once, or until cooked through. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese mixture evenly on all 4 pieces of chicken. Place a lid on the skillet and remove from heat. Keep lid on until cheese has melted.
4. While chicken is cooking, prepare pasta by bringing a large saucepan of water to a boil, and cooking for 4 minutes for al dente. Serve with chicken and pesto sauce.
Serves 4
789 Calories per serving