Use canola or safflower oil to cook the chicken breasts instead of olive oil. While I normally prefer olive oil, it has a relatively low smoke point, canola and safflower oils are more tolerant of high-heat cooking. I make my own bread crumbs from whole wheat bread and seasonings, but there are several commercial brands that are quite tasty.
4boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2eggs, beaten
2 cupsbread crumbs
¼ cupcanola or safflower oil
1 jarmarinara sauce (or use vegetarian pasta sauce)
8 ouncesmozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan or Romano cheese to taste
8 ouncespasta (penne, spaghetti, or linguine)
Place one chicken breast half in a quart-sized freezer bag, or place it between double layers of plastic wrap on top of a cutting board. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken breast until it is flattened to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness . This will help the chicken breast cook evenly. In a pie plate, whisk eggs. Dredge chicken breasts in the beaten eggs, then cover with bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts until completely cooked; try to flip the breasts only once. When cooked, place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover the breasts with the marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted. Serve chicken over cooked pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan or Romano cheese.
