Easy Chicken Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375° F, and prepare an 8 X 8-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray. Pour half the pasta sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Slice the 1 pound chicken breast in half, and place the halves in between two sheets of wax paper or parchment. Pound each to ½-inch in thickness. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a pie plate, or shallow bowl, beat the egg.

In a separate pie plate or shallow bowl, combine the 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Mix well.

Dredge one of the chicken breasts in the beaten egg, making sure to cover both sides. Allow the excess to drip off before dredging in the bread crumb/cheese mixture. Press bread crumbs onto chicken to adhere.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Oil will be hot enough when a few bread crumbs rise to the top of the oil when tossed into the pan. Gently place one of the chicken breasts into the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken over and brown on the other side. You may need to cook one cutlet at a time depending on their sizes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to briefly drain before placing in the baking dish.

After placing both pieces of chicken into the dish, cover with the remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle the 1 cup of mozzarella evenly over the chicken.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly, cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the chicken registers 165°F. If necessary, loosely cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent cheese from browning too quickly.

Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's directions. Serve with Chicken Parmesan, and additional sauce, if desired. Garnish with fresh basil or freshly chopped parsley.