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Campania · Pasta alla Parmigiana di Pollo

Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Crispy breaded cutlets sliced and tossed through pasta in marinara, blanketed with molten mozzarella and Parmigiano.

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Total

50 min

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Serves

4

IntermediateRed SauceComfortRestaurant classicChickenBaked
Chicken Parmesan Pasta — Pasta alla Parmigiana di Pollo

The Story

Where it comes from

Chicken parmigiana is an Italian-American reinvention of melanzane alla parmigiana — the Neapolitan aubergine bake that travelled to New York and Philadelphia in the early 1900s and traded vegetable for cutlet. This version skips the plated-separately routine: the cutlets are fried crisp, sliced, and folded into pasta and marinara at the last second, then finished under the broiler so the mozzarella blisters. Eaten quickly, the breadcrumb crust still crackles against the soft pasta — that contrast is the entire point of the dish.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Penne rigate or spaghetti

    400 g

  • Coarse sea salt

    for water

For the sauce

  • Chicken breast

    sliced into 4 cutlets

    2 large (about 500 g)

  • Fine dry breadcrumbs

    150 g

  • Eggs

    beaten

    2

  • Plain flour

    60 g

  • Marinara sauce

    San Marzano based

    600 ml

  • Garlic

    sliced

    2 cloves

  • Dried oregano

    1 tsp

  • Neutral oil

    for shallow frying

To finish

  • Fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)

    torn, drained well

    200 g

  • Parmigiano Reggiano

    grated

    60 g

  • Fresh basil

    a generous handful

Equipment

Large potOven-safe skilletThree shallow bowlsWire rack

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Set up the breading station

    12 min

    Pound the cutlets to 1 cm. Season, then pass each through flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs mixed with half the Parmigiano and the oregano. Press firmly so the crust sticks.

  2. 2

    Fry until crisp

    10 min

    Shallow-fry in 1 cm of oil over medium-high, 3 minutes per side, until deep gold. Drain on a wire rack — never on paper, which steams the crust soft.

    Chef's note · A rack under the cutlets keeps the bottom as crisp as the top.

  3. 3

    Warm the marinara

    8 min

    Wipe the skillet, add a spoon of oil and the garlic, then pour in the marinara. Simmer 8 minutes to concentrate and season to taste.

  4. 4

    Cook the pasta

    9 min

    Boil the pasta in well-salted water to 1 minute under al dente. Reserve a cup of water and drain.

  5. 5

    Toss and slice

    3 min

    Fold the pasta into the marinara with a splash of pasta water. Slice the cutlets into thick fingers and lay them over the top, pressing them halfway in.

  6. 6

    Melt and finish

    4 min

    Scatter torn mozzarella and the rest of the Parmigiano. Broil 3–4 minutes until bubbling and spotted brown. Finish with fresh basil and serve immediately.

Chef tips

  • ·Dry the mozzarella on paper towel for 10 minutes or it will flood the pan with whey.
  • ·Add the cutlets at the very last moment so the crust survives the sauce.
  • ·A pinch of sugar in the marinara only if your tomatoes are sharp — taste first.

Common mistakes

  • ·Drowning the cutlets in sauce ahead of time; they go soggy in minutes.
  • ·Frying at too low a heat, which makes the breadcrumbs greasy instead of crisp.
  • ·Using low-moisture pre-shredded mozzarella — it melts rubbery, not creamy.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Chianti Classico

Toscana

Bright acidity and cherry fruit slice through the fried crust and cheese.

Aglianico del Vulture

Basilicata

Southern structure that stands up to tomato and mozzarella together.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Penne rigate or spaghetti400 g
  • Coarse sea saltfor water
  • Chicken breast2 large (about 500 g)
  • Fine dry breadcrumbs150 g
  • Eggs2
  • Plain flour60 g
  • Marinara sauce600 ml
  • Garlic2 cloves
  • Dried oregano1 tsp
  • Neutral oilfor shallow frying
  • Fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)200 g
  • Parmigiano Reggiano60 g
  • Fresh basila generous handful

Questions

Frequently asked

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