Pasta is far from South Texas barbecue, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of my family’s favorite meals. I love a cheesy Baked Ziti while my wife prefers crispy Chicken Parmesan, so we decided to combine the two to make the ultimate Chicken Parmesan Pasta!

Our recipe combines the best of both dishes with crispy, bite sized pieces of chicken and cheesy baked pasta. This pasta is an absolute crowd pleaser for special occasions or those Sunday family get togethers!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
• Flour
• Eggs
• Italian style breadcrumbs
• 3 cups penne pasta
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Oil for frying

The Process:

Although this recipe requires a lot of prep time, the process is easy. There are two main parts to prepping this recipe: the noodles and the chicken. You’ll want to start by heating a pot of water to boil the penne while you bread the chicken.

Start by cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Create a 3-stage breading zone with the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. You only need about ½ cup of flour, just enough to lightly dredge the chicken. I used 2 eggs mixed with a little milk so that I didn’t have to use a third egg, but you could use eggs only. For the breadcrumbs, I mixed about 1 ½ cups of Italian breadcrumbs with ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese. Put the flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture into separate bowls or dishes for easy breading.

First, dredge the chicken in the flour. Then, dip the dredged chicken in the egg wash. Finally, coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.

Once the water has reached a boil, add the penne. Let the pasta cook while you bread and cook the chicken. I like to pan-fry the chicken simply because it requires less oil. However, you could use a deep fryer to get the job done much faster. This would be especially helpful if you are making a large batch. In a large pan, pour enough oil (I like to use peanut, but you could use canola or vegetable) to completely cover the bottom of the pan. It should be enough oil to submerge the chicken halfway.

Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown and crispy. You might have to do two batches if pan frying. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Once the noodles are done, strain the water and return the noodles to the pot. Add the marinara sauce and let the sauce heat up. Once it has heated up, add the chicken and half of the shredded mozzarella and stir. Pour the pasta into baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and some grated parmesan.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Serve right away with some cheesy garlic bread and enjoy!