Chicken Parmesan, Homemade Sauce, & Homemade Pasta

Happy Saturday to all! The start of a new month calls for a new recipe. Tonight definitely brought me many challenges but I really enjoyed the end result. I created something I had never attempted before and also put a new twist on one of my old favorites. This entry, I will try to include a few extra photos displaying everything coming together so that you can get a better feel for the recipe. Hopefully, this format is more enjoyable to read as well.

Here are my recipes for Chicken Parmesan, Homemade Sauce, & Homemade Pasta. Yeah, you read that right - you get a 3 for 1 bonus tonight!

Let's breakdown each recipe and the ingredients.

Prep Time: 60 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Marinara Sauce

1/2 Spanish Onion (Diced)
1 Clove Garlic
1 Can Organic Crushed Tomatoes (28oz)
Basil, Parsley, Salt, Pepper to Taste

Homemade Pasta

3 Large Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
Water (if necessary)

Chicken Parmesan

5 Chicken Cutlets (thin sliced)
2 Eggs
1 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
2 cups Part Skim Mozzarella
About 2 cups of Marinara
Parmesan Cheese to Taste

Before we start, please not that I will be jumping around a bit in an attempt to have everything come out at the same time.

1. SAUCE: Start by taking your diced onion and garlic and lightly browning them in your pot (I put a small slice of butter to help them cook). You can then pour the crushed tomatoes into the pot. Add any/all seasonings that you like, stir in, and cover. You will now leave the pot to cook on low while you prepare the pasta but do not forget to go back and stir frequently. I let mine simmer for about 60 minutes in total.

2. PASTA: On a flat working surface, place your flour and salt mixture. Crack the eggs on top of the flour and mix with your hands. Continue to knead the dough until it comes together and becomes workable. I had to add a bit of water because my dough was a bit dry - a few drops on my hand was enough. Then, divide the dough into 3 equal sections.

3. PASTA: One at a time, take one of the dough portions and roll out as thin as you can without tearing it. I used a rolling pin which I continued to flour when the dough became sticky. Once rolled into a thin sheet, roll the sheet gently end to end. Once rolled, take a sharp knife and cut the roll into thin slices. You can then unroll the slices and you will have your finished pasta. Repeat steps for other dough portions.

4. CHICKEN PARMESAN: Same as my past recipes, setup your workstation first (This is also a great time to preheat your oven to 350F). Have your cleaned chicken cutlets on 1 plate, your beaten eggs in a bowl, and a plate with your breadcrumb. Take your chicken cutlets, dip them into the egg, and transfer to the plate of breadcrumbs. Fully cover the cutlets in breadcrumb. Take the breaded cutlet and carefully place in your pan of preheated oil. Cook until lightly brown on both sides - about 2-3 minutes depending on how thin your cutlets are. Once cooked, place on a plate with a paper towel to help absorb excess oil.

5. CHICKEN PARMESAN: Take your baking dish and lightly coat the bottom with your finished sauce. Place all of your cutlets into your baking dish trying not to overlap. Put another portion of sauce on top of each cutlet. Lastly, cover each cutlet with a sizeable portion of mozzarella. Place baking dish in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

6: PASTA: After you place the chicken parmesan into the oven, you will cook your pasta. Drop pasta in boiling water and cook until tender. Fresh pasta will cook quicker than the store variety so watch carefully. Once cooked through, strain pasta and serve.

And there you go - a full course meal all from scratch. I hope you enjoy cooking this meal as I did.