Penne Arrabiata with Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

1 lb penne cooked al dente
¼ cup of your favorite marinara sauce
Spring onions sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Crushed chili flakes to taste
1 Portobello mushroom cap (gills removed)
¼ cup cream
! T vegetable oil
Extra virgin olive oil
2 T Wine (your choice)
1 Heirloom tomato
Kosher salt to taste
¼ cup fresh organic baby spinach leaves
1 bunch fresh Sweet Italian basil leaves (snipped with scissors)
Shaved Asiago cheese
4 chicken breasts
1 T vegetable oil
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 cups flour
1 T Italian seasoning
½ cup cream
Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
1 lemon (zested)
½ cup Pine nuts

Directions:

Cook pasta to al dente then chill in ice cold water. Drain, toss with olive oil and set aside.
Chop garlic, slice the onions and mushrooms, de-stem basil and set aside.

Wash the chicken breasts and set aside

Measure ingredients and set up breading station, keep flour, breading & cream separate

Coarsely chop ¼ cup of the raw pinenuts

Slice the heirloom tomato into bite size pieces and toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper

Toast ¼ cup of pinenuts in the oven until golden brown, set aside

For the Parmesan chicken:

Mix 1 cup of the flour with the bread crumbs, lemon zest, chopped pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and seasonings, for the breading. Place the breading into 9 by 12 baking dish. Dredge the chicken breast into the rest of the plain flour, then dip it into the cream, then finally into the parmesan breading. Set aside. Heat a 16 inch cast iron skillet with 1 T vegetable oil, then place the breaded chicken into the pan. Cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden and flip over to cook other side. Place entire skillet in preheated oven (350 degrees) until chicken is done. Remove from oven and pan and let rest before you slice.

For the pasta dish:

Heat a large sauté pan. Add the vegetable oil, garlic, mushrooms and spring onions. Stir well. Add tomato sauce when the mushrooms, garlic and onions are sizzling and lightly caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add salt and crushed Chile flakes to taste. Add cream, then the pasta and toss to coat. Toss in the spinach and place onto a platter.

Place sliced parmesan chicken on top and around the pasta. Garnish the entire dish with shaved Asiago cheese, toasted pinenuts, sliced tomatoes and fresh cut basil.

Serves 4-6