Chicken Parmesan

3-4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (homemade or from a jar - I use Prego Traditional)
1 large egg
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I use Italian-flavored)
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
8 oz. spaghetti (I prefer angel hair)

Heat sauce in a small saucepan.

Begin heating the water for the pasta.

Beat the egg in a large pie plate or shallow dish. Place bread crumbs in another pie plate and season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper and a dash of garlic powder.

Rinse chicken under warm water; pat dry with paper towels. One at a time, place between plastic wrap and pound flat using the smooth side of a meat tenderizing mallet. Try to make them as thin as possible without tearing the meat.

Working with one at a time, dip both sides of each chicken cutlet in the beaten egg, then in the bread crumb mixture. Set aside on a plate.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil over medium-high head in a 12-inch skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer, add cutlets and saute until golden brown on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Place the cooked chicken on a cookie rack placed over a baking sheet. Sprinkle with equal portions of Mozzarella and Parmesan and broil for a couple of minutes. The cheese should bubble and have a few brown spots. Remove chicken from the oven.

Serve topped with a dollop of heated sauce and next to a serving of cooked pasta.

NOTES:

I make this all the time without the cheese (skipping the broiling step). I just add a few more minutes to the frying time to ensure the chicken is cooked through.

Japanese Panko bread crumbs can be substituted for the dry bread crumbs.

Any leftover chicken is delicious sliced up in a Caesar salad!

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, September 1998