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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Chicken Parmesan

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.61 from 122 ratings Australian
Chicken Parmesan, also known as Chicken Parmigiana in Australia, is a delicious meal, and a must try. With all the lovely herbs and tomato flavour this is just a spectacular meal to try. Personally I am definitely a big fan of anything with tomato and just love herbs–maybe a chef thing? So in our pantry at home we always have plenty of tomato cans. For that delicious Beef Lasagna or Chicken Lasagna perfect for the cold winter nights. Back to the Chicken Parmesan, Italian food are just very special. I am a keen follower of both Italian, as well as French dishes. Maybe because in our studies we learned so much about cuisine, famous chefs and traditional food. Just the other night me and my husband had a discussion about food trends and how it just basically always come back to traditional dishes. Maybe a bit modernised, but back to the traditions. I would definitely add some fried baby marrow shavings to this Chicken Parmesan dish, it just taste divine!A medium-bodied red wine like a light Merlot or Pinot Noir pairs very well with chicken parmesan because of the richness of the pasta. If the sauce is really heavy with stewed tomatoes, though, it's okay to pair it with an Italian Chianti or full-bodied cabernet sauvignon
Crispy breaded chicken parmesan cutlets baked with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce.
Prep 50 min
Cook 30 min
Total 1 h 20 m
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Chicken And Pasta

  • 6 chicken breast fillets
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 bouquet garni of fresh herbs such as origanum, basil, parley and thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 pinches of smoked paprika
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup cake flour
  • oil for shallow frying
  • 6 slices of Mozzarella cheese
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup of basil pesto
  • 300 g tagliatelle pasta
  • fresh basil for garnish
  • 1 punnet of baby marrows, washed and peeled with a potato peeler into strips and lightly fried in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste

Marinara Sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 can of 400 g whole pealed tomatoes, blended
  • 3 fresh tomatoes, blanched in warm water, skinned and blended
  • 3 sprigs of fresh origanum
  • 2 pinches of chilli flakes
  • 2 pinches of sugar
  • ½ cup fresh cream
  • Baby marrow shavings, lightly fried and seasoned with salt and pepper

Method

  1. START BY MAKING THE SAUCE: Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and fry the onion until light and glossy

  2. Add the garlic and fry another minute

  3. Add the tomatoes, herbs, spices and sugar

  4. Bring to boiling point, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer lightly, uncovered while you are preparing the chicken

  5. Do not forget to keep an eye on the sauce, whisking every now and again to prevent it from burning

  6. CHICKEN AND PASTA: Place each chicken breast between 2 layers of plastic wrap, use a meat hammer to tender the breast until 1cm thick

  7. Place the breadcrumbs, ½ Cup of the parmesan cheese (keep the rest aside to use later on with the eggs), garlic and herbs in a food processor

  8. Season with paprika, salt and pepper and blend it well

  9. Turn it out on a plate for the dipping method

  10. In a separate shallow plate, whisk the eggs with the remaining parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper

  11. Place the flour on a third shallow plate

  12. Dip each chicken breast in the flour, then the eggs and last the flavoured breadcrumbs

  13. Leave for 10-15 minutes in the fridge to become firm which will ease with the frying process

  14. While the breasts are resting, continue with bringing the pasta water to a boil and cooking the pasta until al dante

  15. Add the basil pesto and mix well, then keep aside

  16. When the chicken breasts are firm, fry them in the shallow oil until golden brown on both sides

  17. Transfer them to a prepared baking tray, add a Mozzarella cheese slice on each chicken breast, top each with a thyme sprig and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese start making bubbles on top

  18. ASSEMBLING:Add the cream to the marinara sauce and season with salt and pepper

  19. Add a ladle full of sauce in the plate or dish serving it in

  20. Add the pasta on top, Add the chicken breast on top of the pasta and place the baby marrow shavings- if using- around it

  21. Garnish with fresh basil leaves

  22. Repeat with the remaining plates

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