Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1cm
• 75g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g dried breadcrumbs
• 75g grated Parmesan (mixed into the breadcrumbs)
• 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 200g mozzarella, sliced
• 10g fresh basil leaves (optional)
• 320g dried spaghetti
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Line up three shallow dishes: flour in one, beaten eggs in the next, and the breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan in the third.
2. Season the flattened chicken well. Dust each piece in flour, shaking off the excess, dip into the egg to coat, then press firmly into the crumb mix so every surface is thickly jacketed.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cutlets for 2–3 minutes each side until deeply golden and crisp — you want a proper bronzed crust, but they don't need to be cooked through yet. Lift onto a baking tray.
4. Tip most of the oil from the pan and drop the heat slightly. Sweat the onion for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until thickened and glossy, scraping up the crusty bits from the chicken. Stir through the oregano and season generously.
5. Spoon a good slick of sauce over each cutlet and lay the mozzarella slices on top so they overlap. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling, blistered in patches, and the chicken reaches 75°C in the centre.
6. While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water to the packet's al dente time. Drain, reserving a splash of pasta water, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a few spoonfuls of the remaining tomato sauce so each strand is lightly coated.
7. Pile the spaghetti onto warm plates, lay a cutlet on top, spoon over any extra sauce, scatter with torn basil and a final flurry of Parmesan.