Mozzarella Breaded Chicken with Pesto Pasta
“There’s nothing better than biting into chicken coated with crispy breadcrumbs, and that’s something I can’t say very often! This GF recipe lets us all enjoy the pleasures of the crunch alongside some delicious pesto pasta. I also love pairing this breaded chicken with my Mozzarella & Tomato Salad (see page 53 of Can You Make That Gluten Free?)!” Megan McKenna, author of Can You Make That Gluten Free?
100 g (3½ oz) gluten-free flour
4½ teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons black pepper
2 eggs
100 g (3½ oz) gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 x 175 g (6 oz) skinless chicken breast fillets
1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
250 ml (9 fl oz) vegetable oil
100 g (3½ oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into 6 slices
10 large basil leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
150 g (5½ oz) gluten-free spaghetti
3 teaspoons gluten-free basil pesto
1 tablespoon gluten-free
Balsamic glaze, to serve
Set out 3 wide, shallow bowls: place your flour in bowl 1 and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper; crack your eggs into bowl 2, add 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper and whisk together with a fork; place your breadcrumbs in bowl 3 and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper.
Lay a sheet of clingfilm on a work surface, place your chicken breasts on it and cover with another sheet of clingfilm. Using a rolling pin, bash your chicken until it is butterflied, i.e. flattened out to about 5 mm (¼ in) thick.
Remove the clingfilm, then dip your chicken first into the flour bowl, then into your egg bowl, and finally into your breadcrumbs, making sure the meat is completely covered each time. Set aside!
Tip your tomatoes into a saucepan over a medium heat and add ½ teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, the brown sugar and dried oregano. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place your vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add your chicken breasts – depending on the size of your pan, you might have to cook them one at a time – and fry over a medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side.
Heat your grill until very hot. Bring a large pan of water to the boil.
Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and spoon your tomato sauce over it. Top each piece with 3 mozzarella slices and 2 large basil leaves, then place under your hot grill for 10 minutes or until the cheese is molten and golden.
Add 2 tablespoons of your olive oil, if you like, and the remaining teaspoon of salt to the boiling water and cook the spaghetti for 9 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the water. Return the pasta to the empty pan and stir in your pesto, adding the reserved pasta water or the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil if it seems dry.
Serve the chicken topped with the remaining fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and with your pesto pasta on the side.
