An easy recipe for Italian Chicken Parmesan with Linguini

Feeling stressed? Need to get some aggression out, or just really want to pound some food down flat? Not that I can relate with four kids home this summer, honestly, I love our kids and I am happy to have them home. But recovering from a serious surgery from the beginning of July has not been easy with 4 kids and the little miss potty-training. So, I got to pound out six boneless chicken thighs for dinner. It is quite cathartic. All in all, this meal was under $15.00. As a result, the Chicken was super juicy and the Italian Parmesan dressing under the breading gave it such an amazing flavor!

Italian Chicken Parmesan with linguini on a white plate

Disclosure
Published August 12, 2021
Updated March 11, 2022
This page might contain affiliate links. In the event of a sale, I will be awarded a small commission (at no extra cost for you).

Why this recipe works

Spaghetti is one of our families’ favorite meals. Pasta, marinara, meat and a vegetable. This is a meal you can cook up within thirty minutes. To avoid the monotony of spaghetti on a weekly basis, you can mix up the pasta varieties or the meat, or even add garlic bread! One can never go wrong with a good garlic bread. This recipe works because the chicken was first tenderized and then dipped in flour before frying.

If you are from the Midwest, you will be familiar with Olive Garden. It is a restaurant that specializes in soup-salad-breadsticks and the basic Italian dishes. One thing they do REALLY well is their house dressing which they used to sell in these adorable little glass jars. Now you can find this dressing at most grocery stores. Additionally, it is good on pasta salads, regular lettuce salad, chicken and more.

Italian Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients for Italian Chicken Parmesan

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 package linguini pasta
2 jars spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese
Flour
breadcrumbs
Italian dressing
Salt & Pepper

Olive Garden Italian Dressing

Directions for Italian Chicken Parmesan

1. Fill a large pan with water 3/4 the way and turn it on high, when the water comes to a boil, place the linguini pasta in the water, and cook as directed.

linguini pasta boiling in large pot

2. In a large skillet pour 1 inch of oil to fry the chicken and then turn it on medium.

large pan warming on stove

3. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Use a cutting board that will not slip or slide on your counter; something with some weight to it. Wooden butcher blocks are great and also a sturdy one with rubber grips on it to help it stay put like this one from The Pampered Chef which has groves around the edge that keep any liquids from running on your counter. On its flipside, this cutting board is flat and perfect for this use!

cutting board

4. Put one piece of boneless chicken thigh, or breast, and fold the plastic wrap over the top to cut down on splatters. Some chefs recommend using a plastic bag. This does work; however, I find it annoying to have to slip a chicken cutlet in the bag and remove it over and over. In between the plastic wrap is so much easier and less steps. Because it is “cling wrap”, there is an amount of stretch to the plastic which helps it to not tear as quick as a plastic bag would.

using meat tenderizer to pound chicken flat on cutting board

5. Using a meat tenderizer, hammer each piece of chicken till 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Set aside on a plate and continue with each piece until all of the breasts or thighs are done. Our personal tenderizer was a gift from our wedding thirteen years ago and I love it! It is strong and sturdy and most importantly dishwasher safe which then helps to avoid that fearsome cross contamination.

6. Pour 1 cup Italian dressing into a dish and dip each piece of chicken into before the dry mixture.

flat pounded chicken on cutting board

7. Measure 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into a second dish, then mix with a fork and then dip dressing covered chicken one at a time into the flour mixture and immediately place into hot oil. Only put 1-2 chickens into the oil at a time, as this helps to make sure the hot oil stays at a consistent temperature.

8. Flip when the edges of the chicken are browned, around 2-5 minutes each side depending on your heat temperature. It is highly recommended to use a pair of long metal tongs to remove the Italian Chicken, so you avoid any dropping or splattering.

Italian Chicken Parmesan cooking on stove

9. Then remove the fried chicken with a tongs and transfer into a baking dish. When all are cooked place the baking dish into a 350-degree oven and finish cooking for 10 more minutes. You could also place a metal rack under the chicken on a baking sheet to avoid it sitting in its drippings and to keep the chicken crispy.

Fried Italian Chicken Parmesan resting in baking dish

10. When water is boiling, cook the pasta per the package’s directions. When done, drain in a sink colander and replace into the pan. This is by far the best strainer as it keeps your food off the bowl of your sink, is dishwasher safe, large enough to handle a lot of food, and additionally stainless steel yet lightweight.

boiled linguini pasta in pot

11. Pour spaghetti sauce into a pan and then heat on medium.

spaghetti sauce in pot warming on the stove

12. When Italian Chicken juices are running clear and you cut a piece and see no red, remove the pan from the oven.

Italian chicken parmesan with linguini and spaghetti sauce on plate

13. Plate pasta with sauce on top and a piece of Italian Parmesan Chicken. We served our dinner with sweet peas that were steamed and a side salad, then garnish with shredded parmesan and enjoy!

Italian Chicken Parmesan on plate served with salad at dinner table

Italian Chicken Parmesan with Linguini Recipe

Italian Chicken Parmesan

Use Italian Dressing for a delicious and simple recipe for Parmesan Chicken. Our favorite is the Olive Garden's Italian Dressing.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 6-Quart Pot
  • Sink Colander
  • Medium Bowl
  • Bake Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Linguini Pasta
  • 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 jars Spaghetti Sauce
  • Italian Dressing
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
 

  • Fill a large pot with water 3/4 the way and then turn it on high to boil the pasta.
  • In a large skillet pour 1 inch of oil to fry the chicken and then turn it on medium.
  • Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board.
  • Put one piece of boneless chicken thigh or breast and then fold the plastic wrap over the top to cut down on splatters.
  • Using a meat tenderizer, hammer each piece of chicken till 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, then set aside.
  • Pour 1 cup dressing into a dish and dip each piece of chicken into before the dry mixture.
  • Measure 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into a second dish, then mix with a fork.
  • Dip the dressing covered chicken one at a time into the flour mixture and immediately place into hot oil.
  • Only put 1-2 chickens into the hot oil at a time, as this helps to make sure the hot oil stays at a consistent temperature.
  • Flip when the edges of the chicken are browned, around 2-5 minutes each side depending on your heat temp.
  • Remove fried chicken and then place into a baking dish.
  • When all are cooked place the baking dish into a 350-degree oven and finish cooking for 10 more minutes.
  • When the water is boiling, cook the pasta per the package's directions.
  • When done, drain in a sink colander and replace the pasta back into the pan.
  • Pour spaghetti sauce into a pan and then heat on medium to warm.
  • When chicken juices are running clear and you cut a piece and see no red, remove the pan from the oven.
  • Plate pasta with the sauce on top and a piece of Italian Parmesan Chicken.
  • We served our dinner with sweet peas that were steamed and a side salad, then garnish the top with shredded parmesan and enjoy!
Keyword Italian Chicken Parmesan

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright: All content and photos on Monica's Scratch Kitchen are copyright protected. Please do not use them without written permission. Thank you.

Published by Monica's Scratch Kitchen

I have not always had the skills to cook and bake from scratch. As a young wife, I bought every meal frozen or boxed and presented it to my husband with a flourish, believing myself a decadent cook. As our budget shrunk, and our family grew, I looked for ways to stretch our money to nourish our kids with the best for their hungry appetites. Hoping to find recipes and meals that they would love to eat. Through the last 5 years, I have learned so many cooking and baking lessons, and experienced many wins and failures. Come along with me on this journey as I share my recipes that work, how to make them on the cheap, and my tips and tricks to get my kids to eat homemade deliciousness! I will also share updates to our house that we have done in the last year since our move. With one income, we do most of the work ourselves and with amazing family and friends to help out, cutting costs but keeping style and money in the bank! I am a wife and mother of 3 boys and 1 princess. When I was a kid, I remember being asked what I wanted to be or do when I grew up. My response was, "a mom", and I am proud to grow up and be a mom to 4 amazing kids! Samuel is 11, Matthew is 8, Levi is 4, and Elliana is almost 2. We have been blessed to have kids who love to explore foods, to try new recipes, and enjoy helping us around the house. With 4 kids, you better believe they help clean! My husband Tyler and I have been married almost 13 years. We love our kids, we love outdoors, camping, canoeing, grilling, watching movies, and just hanging out making memories. A few years ago I gifted Tyler with his own "menu" book, where we write meals and foods we have loved to eat. Weekly our family decides what our meals will be and I make up a grocery list with what we need. It literally is my favorite chore! I love to shop, so shopping for food on a budget is my biggest win! Thank you for taking the time and visiting my site, Subscribe so you do not miss a post! Keep coming back to hear about new recipes, updates on our home, fun times with our kids, and how to make homemade deliciousness! ~Monica

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this:
Verified by MonsterInsights