Chicken Parmesan 

chicken breast, cut in half and pounded thinly

Get the chicken breasts, if super thick, slice in half through the middle, pound them out thin to get thin chicken cutlets. Or buy the chicken already pre-cut in thin pieces.

Parmesan, freshly grated + more for topping

Get three bowls/trays, to one add the flour, to the other crack in the eggs(whisk them) & to the third, add the regular bread crumbs, panko breadcrumbs and the 2 cups parmesan.

The following three things get seasoned with all the same seasonings, chicken, flour & breadcrumbs mixture with: 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper & about 1 tsp of crushed red pepper(optional for spice) & some salt, about 1 tsp in each.

Once the chicken is seasoned and the dredging stations are also seasoned, pass the chicken through the flour, then the eggs, then lastly through the breadcrumb mixture. Place it onto another empty tray/plate while you bread the rest.

Get a pot of water boiling to start cooking the pasta of your choice, I’m using spaghetti.

To a large frying pan, add the oil for frying, set it to medium-ish heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken cutlets for about 3-4 minutes per side, they’re thin so don’t take long to cook.

When the chicken is golden brown, set onto a tray with a wire rack & grate fresh Parmesan over the top. Repeat frying all the chicken until it’s all crispy.

Get the pasta cooking, making sure to salt the water.

To assemble the chicken parm, place the cutlets on a baking sheet, top them off with marinara, I like to leave the edges exposed so they stay crispy, then add as much mozzarella as your heart desires.

Using the broiler setting of your oven, place the prepared chicken under the broiler for just long enough to melt the cheese, about 1-2 minutes.

To serve, place the cooked spaghetti on a plate, top with warmed up marinara, place the cheesy chicken parm on top of the spaghetti, top with more freshly grated parm and basil if using.