Pollo alla Parmigiana

Chicken Parmesan with extra veggies. I made this for 8.

Ingredients:

5-6 chicken breasts

2 eggs

Italian Bread Crumbs

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

Olive oil

3 small zucchinis

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

10 oz package of frozen spinach

Herbs: Basil, Oregano

1 cup Malbec Red Wine

1 medium onion

Cheeses: Parmesan/ Pecorino Romano, and a mild cheese like Ricotta, or traditionally Mozzarella. (I used some Mexican Farmer Cheese because it was mild and crumbly, tasted a bit like Mozzarella, and I had some left over.)

Sour cream or full fat yogurt.

Kosher Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Begin by rinsing the chicken and removing excess fat. Cut chicken breasts into smaller pieces either in half or in thirds.

Put a quarter of an inch of olive oil in a large frying pan on high-medium heat.

Crack the two eggs into a food processor or a blender. Blend with the garlic cloves.

Prepare a breading assembly line, with the prepared chicken, a dish of the egg mixture, and a bowl of bread crumbs.
Dip the chicken in the egg and then the bread crumbs. Place breaded chicken pieces in the oil to brown, but not necessarily to cook all the way through.

Place browned chicken pieces in the base of a large casserole dish, which has been lightly dusted in fresh ground pepper.

Sprinkle on some Parmesan/Pecorino Romano.

Peel and slice the zucchinis width-wise. Distribute the zucchini rounds on and around the chicken. Add a layer of Mozzarella and a pinch of salt.

In a bowl, thaw the spinach in the microwave (if not already thawed). Drain out excess water. Mix the spinach with the crushed tomatoes and herbs, especially basil. Pour this mixture over what you have in the casserole dish.

In the blender or food processor (it’s ok if a little bit of residual garlic and egg remain, especially garlic) add the wine and onion. Blend until smooth. Add a few dollops of sour cream or full fat yogurt. Pour on top of the tomato/spinach sauce.

Sprinkle more Parmesan/Pecorino Romano on top.

Bake at 325 for about an hour, until the top browns and the sauce bubbles.

Serve with a mix of whole grain and squid ink Spaghetti (Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia) in olive oil.


Have some Pizzelle and espresso for dessert!

Enjoy!