CREAMY ROASTED TOMATO BASIL PAPPARDELLE WITH CRISPY PARMESAN CHICKEN

Dinner, Italian by Cafe Christina

I’ll never say no to a big bowl of pasta. It’s one of those comfort foods that never gets old and you can switch it up a million different ways. This one in particular is one of my latest creations that I cannot get enough of. Think tomato basil soup… plus pasta… plus chicken parm… this recipe kind of pulls together all of these classics together to create something special and exciting.

Roasting tomatoes has been a summer habit of mine. I’ll buy them in bulk at the store and then find ways to use them up all week. I can’t help myself… tomato season is my favorite season. They are juicy and sweet and have so much more flavor this time of year. So get them while you can people! Then try out all my lovely tomato recipes I’ve got going on lately.

Also try:

SPICY CARBONARA

ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO SPAGHETTI WITH WHITE WINE BUTTER SAUCE

CREAMY TOMATO SHRIMP PENNE

CREAMY ROASTED TOMATO BASIL PAPPARDELLE WITH CRISPY PARMESAN CHICKEN

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Total time: 1 hour + 10 minutes

Serves: 3

INGREDIENTS:

For chicken:

  • 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

For pasta + sauce:

  • 1 lb pappardelle pasta
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

DIRECTIONS:

For chicken:

  1. Start by creating the dredge for the chicken. Gather 3 medium sized bowls. In the first bowl, add the eggs and whisk vigorously. Place 1/2 cup flour in the second bowl. Place 1/3 cup flour, 1 cup Panko, 1/4 cup parm, kosher salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  2. Cut each piece of chicken in half. Place each piece between parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it out until 1/2 inch thick. Repeat till all chicken is pounded.
  3. Dip each piece of chicken in the plain flour, then the egg, then the Panko parm mixture. Place on a plate until ready to pan fry.
  4. Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and let heat to medium. Carefully add in the chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes a side until fully cooked through and golden brown in color. Be mindful not to overcrowd the pan and cook in batches.
  5. Remove chicken from the pan, season with salt and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

For pasta and sauce:

  1. Cook pasta to al dente in salted water. Reserve 1 cup of water for later use. Drain but do not rinse the pasta.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  3. Place the tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together with your hands to coat the tomatoes. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes until tomatoes have bursted and are soft.
  4. Remove from the oven and transfer the tomatoes, garlic and pan juices to a blender along with the fresh basil. Pulse a few times until it’s smooth but still has chunks of tomato throughout.
  5. Transfer sauce to a pan on low heat. Add in the cream and stir. Bring to a soft boil and then add in the pasta and toss together. At this point you can also add in some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce up a bit and make it a bit thinner.

Assembly:

  1. Serve pasta with crispy Parmesan chicken on top. Can also serve with more fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

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