Chicken Sorrentino Penne

Usually on Sunday I like to have a drink while I cook! I think it makes the food taste extra better. ;) My choice was rum and coke, one for me and one for my babe!

Sundays around here are lazy days for us! We all sleep in and end up lounging around the house the rest of the day. The girls are cleaning, doing laundry and thinking of what to make for dinner. While the guys well, they play video games the majority of the time. I try to get in a workout, bake something and/or get dinner going. Like this meal for Chicken Sorrentino Penne (I couldn’t find fusilli, so penne it is). My favorite Cake Boss now has his own TV show called Kitchen Boss. I love his show because he makes original Italian recipes and his taste is right on when it comes to flavors.

This particular recipe he made called Chicken Sorrentino Fusilli immediately caught my eye because it is casserole style, has a good amount of protein, breaded eggplant and pasta. This meal has everything and more you could ask for. The only thing is, it is VERY time consuming. I literally spent 5 hours making it (with prep work involved) and we spent 30 minutes eating it. This meal is so delicious but be prepared to spend most of your day in the kitchen making it. It requires several steps but in reality it is simple to prepare once you do get through all the steps. My favorite part about this meal was the breaded eggplant, prosciutto and fresh mozzarella cheese. I also made the Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Breadcrumbs to go with it and a caprese salad minus fresh basil (it was bad at all the stores we went too). I can’t wait to make this meal again when I have extra time for it.

Cut tips and use a potato peeler to peel the ends a little. No strings!

The theme of this show was Date Night. It clearly was only enough for 2-3 people. I ended up doubling this recipe so it could serve at least 6 people.

Chicken Sorrentino Penne

Adapted from Kitchen Boss

Ingredients

2-3 halves boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 crushed clove garlic

2 small eggplants

4 thin slices prosciutto

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

4 cups marinara sauce (homemade or a favorite store brand)

1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente

Few leaves torn fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray to bake the eggplant on.

Sprinkle the chicken breast halves with salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil and turn to coat with the crushed garlic. Let rest while you prepare the sauce and eggplant.

In a small saucepot, heat the tomato sauce and warm through.

 

Peel the eggplant and slice across the width into 1/4 inch rounds ( I ended up cutting them horizontal). Please the breadcrumbs and the flour each in two shallow plates. Crack two large eggs into a bowl; separate the yolk from the two large egg whites and beat. Dip each piece of eggplant first into the flour, tapping off excess, then into the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off, then lastly, coat in crumbs. Place the eggplant onto your baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp edges. Take out and set aside while finishing the chicken.

Heat a cast iron grill or skillet pan oven medium high heat. Grill or sear the chicken breast on each side until nicely marked but not cooked through. Set aside.

In a bowl, toss the penne with 1/2 of the marinara sauce- enough to coat well and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan. Place in the bottom of a 9 x 13, lightly oiled baking dish. Place the chicken pieces side by side on top of the pasta. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of prosciutto, then place the eggplant on top and the sliced mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through- approx. 10 minutes. You can brown the cheese with a quick turn under the broiler. If desired, top with remaining sauce, parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

To make the Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Breadcrumbs click this link HERE.

 

As you can see I slightly prepared my eggplant a bit differently from Kitchen Boss’s version. I simply used whole wheat flour, added some egg whites and baked it instead. If you want to fry up your eggplant go ahead, it will be extra delicious!

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as we enjoyed it here on our lazy Sunday.

Buon Appetito,

Fallon