Recently, I found a recipe for combining all the signature ingredients in chicken parmesan except the chicken is ground and not fried. Lower in fat for sure as there are no bread crumbs, flour or egg and only 1 tbsp. of olive oil is used. It’s basically a casserole and very, very good! I like to call it an Italian-American dish.
Chicken parmesan just says “comfort” – I mean fried breaded chicken breasts,lots of good cheese, fresh herbs, pasta and homemade marinara sauce. It has always been a favorite when I am not counting my calories.
I actually have not posted my recipe I’ve had for years – it’s one of my oldest! It’s still a draft and I just need to update it, make it and take some pictures. I don’t fry much since I joined Weight Watcher’s maybe 15 years ago!
This new recipe is great for entertaining too as you can cook the meat and (make) add the sauce the day before. Then on the day you are serving it you can add the cheese, cook the pasta and combine all the ingredients into a wonderful dish your guests will love! My sister sure did and she took some leftovers home!
This great idea comes from one of my new favorite bloggers, Gaby Dalkin and was included in her cookbook “What’s Gaby Cooking” (also the name of her blog). She’s a young Californian (30’s maybe) who started her blog after college and has ended up with a cookbook, a popular blog and is a personal chef among other things I’m sure.
Chicken Parmesan Pappardelle, Adapted
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced, or use garlic puree
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1-1/4 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
- 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (or use fresh basil, oregano and other herbs as desired, minced)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (26 oz.) jar marinara sauce or see my home made sauce below (I used more)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded – plus more to garnish
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 12 oz. pappardelle pasta
- fresh basil to garnish
Heat the oil in a large skillet; add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground chicken and Italian seasoning and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, while breaking up the pieces for about 10 minutes or so.
Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. You can make it up to this point the day before. Reduce the heat to low and add the two cheeses; stir to combine. Adjust any seasonings.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta (saving a little of the water) and add to the meat sauce if needed to thin the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients to coat. Place in a large serving bowl; garnish with fresh basil and of course additional Parmesan.
http://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2018/09/12/chicken-parmesan-pappardelle/
JuJu's Marinara Sauce
- enough olive oil to saute the onions
- lots of onion, chopped
- couple cloves of garlic, minced or add home made garlic puree
- 4-6 quarts canned home grown tomatoes or 6-8 large cans of Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes
- 1 (12 oz.) tomato paste
- 1 (1 lb. 13 oz.) tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp. dried parsley, or 3-4 tbsp. fresh
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. dried basil or 3-4 tsp. fresh
- 2 tsp. dried oregano or 3-4 tsp. fresh
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Saute onions in just enough oil for about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute another minute or two. Process the tomatoes in a blender; then strain through a food mill to remove all of the seeds.
Add the tomatoes and rest of the ingredients to the onion mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cook it as long as necessary to get the right consistency.
Judi this looks delicious. Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes. I think this is a great take on it. Hugs!
Thanks so much Teagan – it’s a favorite here too. This is just an easier (healthier) way of making it. 🙂
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Great recipe for easy entertaining. Looks delicious!
Thanks – we stuffed ourselves! It’s hard to turn down pasta and cheese!
🙂
Certainly looks tummy warming to me. Love pappardelle with any sauce, but your Chicken Parmesan is perfect for this pasta shape. A must cook in my book. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ron – I love using pappardelle as sauces like this just love it.
Homemade is always the best and this is my kind of comfort food!
Mine too Julie especially with my own marinara sauce. Lots of cheesy goodness in this pasta dish!
Comfort food x 10!
I have to agree Debbie – I could eat this frequently and the dish had just a hint of heat with the red pepper flakes.
What a great dish Judi, my son would definitely love this and he could probably almost make it by himself! We’ve never added cheese into a tomato sauce before- only put it on top to go crispy so that’s a new thing to try too. Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday. Enjoy the weekend.
Thanks Laurena – it’s a very simple recipe to make and you can make part of it ahead of time and of course use a jarred sauce versus homemade. Happy weekend!
With all the kilos of tomatoes our allotment has been producing we’ve made enough sauce to keep going for a while! I’ll make it soon! Have a great Sunday!
Love your marinara but I love the pasta with ground chicken idea. Fabulous!
Thanks Mimi – the marinara sauce is one of my oldest recipes. Such as easy recipe but so good!
This is awesome, Judi! I love chicken parm, but rarely eat it. It is such an indulgence. I adore this healthier version, and can’t wait to give it a try, It would be great to have those flavors more often!
Thanks Antonia – the chicken isn’t crispy but the flavor sure is there. The cheese and noodles and my homemade sauce makes for a perfect meal!
This looks so very good Judi. I am sure the flavors were deep and comforting. Thanks for sharing with us!
Thanks Zeba – this was a big hit and so easy to throw together after a day of shopping with a sister!
Great comfort food, Judy!💜
Thanks Mary – in my book it certainly is comfort food!
Definitely. Have a great week, Judy!😊💜
Sounds so delicious & tempting. I am bookmarking this to try. Thanks for sharing this at Fiesta Friday!
Thanks – its an easy version of chicken parmesan without so many calories. It’s good too!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – I love pasta and this dish looks amazing. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks – pasta is high on my list for “comfort food”.