Blistered Cherry Tomato & Sweet Pepper Pasta with a Chicken Cutlet

Is this the perfect summer dish?! Tender pasta with a delicious shallot, garlic, sweet pepper and cherry tomato sauce and a juicy parmesan-coated chicken cutlet. It’s *chef’s kiss!*

Feeds 2 people, but the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled

Ingredients:

Chicken Cutlet:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 c. AP flour

2 eggs

½ c. parmesan (finely grated is best but use whatever you have)

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper

3-4 Tbsp. neutral high- heat cooking oil

Pasta:

½ lb. bucatini (you can use spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, etc but I highly recommend the bucatini)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 medium shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sweet peppers, chopped (any color)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed with the calyxes (little green hats) taken off

1 large handful basil leaves

Extra parmesan and shredded basil, to serve

Directions:

Prepare your chicken cutlets: In one medium bowl, add the flour. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, a splash of water, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and ¼ c. parmesan. In a third medium bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the remaining ¼ c. of parmesan cheese.

If your chicken breasts are thick, cut in half the long way to thin them. Then set on a cutting board, cover in plastic wrap and repeatedly hit with a meat hammer (or a heavy drinking glass or real hammer) until the chicken breasts are about ¼ inch thick. Dip each chicken breast in flour, shake off excess. Then, dip in egg wash and let the excess drip off. Finally, dip in the breadcrumbs mixture and pat to ensure it covers all of the chicken.

In a large saucepan, boil heavily salted water for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. When done cooking, save a cup of the pasta water, strain the pasta, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add in the sweet peppers and cook for another 3 minutes, stir a few times. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and put a lid on the skillet. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are blistered/have popped) and are soft. Be sure to stir every so often.

Pour 80% of the cooked tomato mixture into a food processor and process until smooth. Add in a handful of basil and process again until as smooth as possible. If you want a completely smooth sauce, feel free to push it through a sieve.

In another large skillet, heat 3-4 tablespoons (you’re looking for a very shallow layer covering the entirety of the bottom of the pan) of neutral high-heat oil over medium heat and add the chicken cutlets to the pan. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Set onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the pureed tomato sauce back into the skillet with the remaining cooked tomato/pepper/shallot/garlic mixture that you didn’t puree and add in the pasta. Toss. Add in a splash of the pasta water to help the sauce stick to the noodles and toss again.

Add a chicken cutlet to each plate, divide the pasta and top with extra basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!