Chicken Parmigiana

Cut into the fat, rounded side of each chicken breast to butterfly them open. Place chicken in baggies or between plastic and gently pound them into very thin, large cutlets. Season with salt and pepper on each side.

Combine both breadcrumbs with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, herbs, granulated onion and garlic, and lemon zest. Line up three dishes to dredge cutlets; one with flour, one with the egg and one with the herbed breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a metal rack on a baking sheet to keep cutlets warm while preparing them in batches.

Heat a shallow layer of oil (1/8- to 1/4-inch) in a very large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

Heat tomato sauce and bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta to al dente.

While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta cooks, coat chicken cutlets in flour and shake off excess, drop them in the egg and drain excess and then coat them evenly in the breadcrumb mixture. Shallow fry the cutlets 1 or 2 at a time for 3 minutes on each side. Keep finished cutlets warm in oven as you finish the rest.

To serve, place a large cutlet on a plate and top with a ladle of sauce, some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and garnish with a basil leaf.

Drain pasta and return it to the pot (add a pat of butter if you like). Toss with half the red sauce. Serve pasta in shallow bowls topped with more sauce and some grated cheese. The pasta may be served as a first course or as a side dish to the chicken.