Breaded Fried Chicken Cutlets with Pesto Penne

Here’s a fun and slightly decadent idea for dinner tonight – fried chicken and pesto pasta. It’s a big, homemade version of chicken nuggets and greenish pasta.

When I talk to my girls about it, they won’t go near it if I call it ‘breaded chicken cutlets with pesto penne’ so instead, I call it ‘big chicken nuggets with green pasta’. Its sounds gross to me but that’s how Amelia first described it to me the very first time I made it. So it stuck, and I’ve gone with it.

This is also similar to how I made chicken parm in a skillet. It’s fun, it’s delicious and it’s super filling! It’s not the healthiest, but a large crowd with hungry tummy’s will just love this one!

Breaded Fried Chicken Cutlets with Pesto Penne

Servings: 4
Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients

1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 large eggs, beaten
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup oil, for shallow frying
1/2 lb. penne pasta 1/2 homemade pesto or store-bought

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the flour, eggs, and a bread crumb/parmesan cheese mix separately in 3 shallow dishes. Season flour with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each breast into the flour, then shake off the excess. Next, run the breast through the egg to coat it lightly and hold the chicken over the liquid to let any excess fall back into the bowl. Finally, lay the chicken in the bread crumbs/parmesan cheese mix, turn it over and press it into the breading to coat. Lay on a plate of baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Lay 1-2 chicken breasts smooth-side down in the pan. Cook the chicken without turning until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until equally brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Place all the chicken breasts on a rack over a baking pan and bake until firm to the touch, about 6 to 8 minutes. While chicken is cooking, cook and drain pasta according to package instructions. Toss pesto with pasta immediately before removing chicken from the oven. Serve immediately. Enjoy!