Italian food is my husband’s favorite kind of food. I typically don’t make it because of high carb and calorie content. However, I recently found a healthier option to Italian food. Chicken parmesan that is baked! It is still lightly fried for the crispy texture, but it is a much lighter option than what you would eat at an Italian restaurant. I usually make whole wheat penne pasta instead of regular spaghetti noodles as well.

I hope you enjoy this version of chicken parmesan as much as my family! My recipe below is from an original recipe of Self Proclaimed Foodie. You can find their recipe here: Perfect Chicken Parmesan

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Serves Four

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (skinless)
• 3 cups of penne pasta
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (25 ounce) jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use plastic wrap to cover chicken. Use a meat pounder or rolling pin to tenderize meat. Make about a half-inch thick.

Have three bowls on the counter. Add flour to one bowl. Add the beaten egg to another bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, along with basil, oregano, salt and pepper into the third bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flower, then coat with egg, then cover with the bread crumb mixture. Press coating onto chicken to get as much as possible to stick.

When oil is hot (when you see bubbles coming from the bottom of the pan), add your coated chicken to the pan. Cook each breast about two minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and transfer to a baking dish. Cover each breast with some pasta sauce. Make sure to reserve some of the sauce for the pasta on the side. Cook chicken in the oven about 5-10 minutes.

Bon Appetit!