1tsppaprikaoptional - but gives the breaded chicken a lovely rich colour
¼tspsalt
¼tspblack pepper
75g(3/4 cup) finely grated parmesan cheese
2tbspolive oil
1ball(4.4 oz or 125 g) mozzarellasliced
¼tspdried oregano
To Serve:
cooked spaghetti
2tbspsliced fresh basil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan) and put a large baking dish to one side.
Start with the marinara sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often until softened.
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
1 clove garlic
Add the passata, oregano and sugar. Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breasts flat on a board and slice in half through the middle, so you have 4 equal-sized thin fillets. Dust on both sides with the flour.
2 large chicken breasts, 3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
Add the eggs to a bowl and give them a quick whisk.
2 eggs
Add the panko, paprika, salt, pepper, half the parmesan, and the olive oil to a second bowl. Stir together until the panko is evenly coated in the oil.
75 g (1 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 75 g (3/4 cup) finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil
Dip a chicken fillet in the egg to coat, then dip in the breadcrumbs on both sides until completely covered. Place in the large baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken fillets, so the chicken fillets are placed in a single layer in the baking dish.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned.
Take the chicken out of the oven and pour 3/4 of the marinara sauce around the chicken. Lift up each piece of chicken with a spatula so the sauce spreads and covers the base of the dish and the chicken is sitting on top.
Top the chicken fillets with the remaining marinara sauce. Arrange the slices of mozzarella on top of the chicken and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan and the dried oregano.
1 ball (4.4 oz or 125 g) mozzarella, 1/4 tsp dried oregano
Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is golden and piping hot throughout.
Serve the chicken with cooked spaghetti and sprinkle on fresh basil before serving.
cooked spaghetti, 2 tbsp sliced fresh basil
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Yes you can, but it needs a couple of changes to ensure your chicken is still lovely and crispy. You’ll need to store the chicken and sauce separately, then assemble and cover in cheese when you’re ready to cook: Fully cook the crispy chicken first (about 20-25 minutes in the oven – until it’s no longer pink in the middle). Then cool and cover it. Make the marinara, and cool and cover it. Place both the covered containers in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready to cook it, cover the base of a baking dish with ¾ of the marinara sauce, top with the chicken and spoon a little of the sauce on each piece of chicken. Arrange the mozzarella on top and sprinkle with parmesan, then bake, uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is hot throughout.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, similar to the make ahead answer, you’ll need to make a couple of changes to ensure your chicken is still lovely and crispy. You’ll need to store the chicken and sauce separately, then, defrost, assemble and cover in cheese when you’re ready to cook: Fully cook the crispy chicken first (about 20-25 minutes in the oven – until it’s no longer pink in the middle). Then cool and cover it. Make the marinara, and cool and cover it. Place both the covered containers in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook it, cover the base of a baking dish with ¾ of the marinara sauce, top with the chicken and spoon a little of the sauce on each piece of chicken. Arrange the mozzarella on top and sprinkle with parmesan, then bake, uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is hot throughout.
Can I make more sauce?
Yes, if I want more sauce, I simply add in more passata (keeping the rest of the ingredients the same). That works if you’re just looking for 50% more sauce. If you want double the sauce, then double all of the ingredients in the marinara recipe.
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes! Use gluten free breadcrumbs (dried or fresh), gluten free plain (all-purpose) flour and gluten free spaghetti. Ensure the passata is gluten free (it often is) and if you’re using ready-grated/shredded cheese, ensure it’s gluten free too (sometimes it has flour in it to stop it from clumping).Nutritional information is per serving, not including spaghetti.