Pine Nut-Crusted Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan may be an Italian-American classic, but this Pine Nut-Crusted Chicken Parmesan is an upgrade. Instead of smothering the chicken in tomato sauce, I roast whole cherry tomatoes on the vine until they burst with sweetness. The real twist, though, is in the crust: coarsely ground pine nuts folded into the Parmesan breading, adding a buttery crunch that takes every bite to another level.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts coarsely ground
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal medium-coarse ground
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- salt & pepper
- 8 ounces chicken breast
- basil
Instructions
- A NOTE ABOUT THE COOKING AND PREP TIME.The cooking time starts with the tomatoes - a total of 25 minutes. Within that time, you can prep and cook the Pine Nut-Crusted Chicken Parmesan. Hence, the total time is still 25 minutes.
- Place cherry tomatoes on a small baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake in oven of 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until the tomatoes burst. Set aside.
- During that time, make 2 separate mixtures:1. Mix coarsely ground pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, all-purpose flour.2. Egg white, milk, salt & pepper. Whisk the egg white loose with a fork before adding the milk.
- Cut a chicken breast in half, horizontally and pound on them to reach an even thickness. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt & pepper. (NOTE 1)
- Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg white-milk mixture and then and dip it into the nut-flour mixture to coat on all sides. Tap off the excess.
- In an oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken and saute about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and done.
- Top each cutlet with a thin slice of Mozzarella cheese. Place for a few minutes under a broiler, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve the chicken cutlets over pasta or polenta or potatoes. Garnish with burst tomatoes and fresh basil.
Notes
- Instead of slicing boneless, skinless chicken breasts fillets in half horizontally, you may be able to buy cutlets in the grocery store.
Nutrition
Calories: 515kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 33gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 399mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g