So B, my protégé/roommate, made this meal all by herself the other night because I went out to play bar trivia with some friends.  She got the recipe from the cookbook we have been cooking in all week, Lifetime’s “Cook Yourself Thin.”  I had it for lunch and dinner yesterday and it was amazing.  I am so proud!

Cheezy Chicken Parmesan With Zucchini “Pasta” 

 Serves 4

Calories per serving: 350

For the tomato sauce and zucchini pappardelle

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

Salt

1 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, in juice, mashed

1 sprig fresh basil

Pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

4 zucchini, thinly sliced

For the chicken

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons extra for serving

1/4 cup dried whole-wheat or white bread crumbs

1 large egg white, lightly beaten with a fork

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts split in half to make 6–8 large, thin cutlets

Pepper

4 teaspoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons extra for serving

1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1. For the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. (Check a few times during cooking; if vegetables begin to brown, add 2 teaspoons water and stir.) Add the tomatoes with juice, basil and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently 5 minutes. Then simmer very gently, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

2. Meanwhile, using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick long pappardelle-like strips, turning the zucchini and slicing on 4 sides only until you see the center seeds. Discard the centers.

3. Remove the tomato sauce to a bowl with a rubber spatula; no need to clean the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until wilted, tossing often with tongs for even cooking, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the tomato sauce to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and season with 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and set aside.

4. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and the remaining chopped parsley. Place the egg white on a second plate. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the egg whites, and then into the bread crumb mixture to coat completely; set aside on a large plate or platter.

5. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in each of two nonstick 10-inch skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken to each skillet and cook until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until chicken is firm, and lightly browned on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes.

6. To serve, re-warm the zucchini in the tomato sauce over medium heat. Use tongs to make a “twist” of zucchini pappardelle on each of 4 plates. Lean chicken cutlets against the side of zucchini. Scoop 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each plate, and spoon remaining tomato sauce on top of the chicken. To garnish each plate, drizzle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Parmesan.

Enjoy!

-K