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Clean recipe · pinchofyum.com

Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta

Crispy golden parmesan chicken atop creamy, luscious, lemony pasta! This combo is everything!

Original recipe: pinchofyum.com

Yield:
4 servings
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
40 min
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Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta

Ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  2. 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  3. 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  4. 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  5. 1 teaspoon paprika
  6. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  7. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  8. 1/3 cup mayo
  9. avocado oil spray
  10. 8 ounces pasta (I love mafalda for this, about half the box)
  11. 2 tablespoons butter
  12. 1 clove garlic, minced
  13. 1/2 tablespoon flour
  14. 1/2 cup water
  15. 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base
  16. 1 cup heavy cream
  17. zest of half of a lemon
  18. 1 tablespoon lemon juice (half a lemon)
  19. a handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons
  20. an easy green salad for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut each chicken breast into thin, flat pieces (not bite-sized but something that looks like a thin chicken breast). For example: if a one-pound package gives me two chicken breasts, I’m often cutting it into 3-4 thin pieces per breast. Thin chicken is essential! And delicious! Pat the chicken breasts dry if they have a lot of moisture on them.
  2. Mix the parmesan, panko, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Place mayo in a bowl. Brush each chicken piece to coat with a thin layer of mayo. Spoon the panko mixture evenly over each piece of chicken. Press firmly to adhere the crumbs to the chicken, getting it as well-coated as you can. Carefully flip chicken pieces over and repeat on the other side. Finally, spray the top side with avocado oil spray until coated. (You will have some crumbles remaining on the baking sheet – that’s fine.)
  4. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the chicken looks golden. Turn on the broiler; broil for 1-2 minutes. Grab each piece along the sides with tongs, flip, and broil the back side so it gets very golden and crispy all around and reaches an internal temp of 165.
  5. Melt butter over medium low heat. Add garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add flour; sauté for another 2-3 minutes. It will bubble and get a bit foamy.
  6. Add cream, water, and Better than Bouillon. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and clings to the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from heat to cool slightly. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
  7. Cook pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve a bit of pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water as needed.
  8. Slice your crispy chicken into strips. Scoop the hot, saucy pasta into shallow bowls, place the chicken slices on top, and finish with the basil ribbons. Sometimes I like to grab the extra crumbles from the sheet pan and sprinkle them on top, and serve with a lemon wedge. OOOOH BABY!