Name: Chicken Parmesan
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 links mild Italian sausage; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; One 32-ounce can tomato puree; 1/3 cup tomato paste; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves; One 1-pound loaf fresh Italian bread; 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped; 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 large eggs; A pinch salt and pepper; Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts; Olive oil, for frying; 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

For the sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put the sausages in a small baking pan and poke each a couple times with a fork. Roast until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool and chop the sausages, reserve the pan drippings. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, 2 1/2 cups water, tomato paste, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, adjust to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and reserved drippings. Continue simmering until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in the basil. Keep warm.
For the cutlets: Cut the bread into pieces and pulse batches in a food processer until fine breadcrumbs. Mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley and Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper in another shallow bowl. Put the flour in a third shallow bowl.
Pound out the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper until just less than a 1/4-inch-thick. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
Bread the chicken: Coat each breast in flour, shake off the excess. Then dip in the egg, letting excess drip off. Finely coat completely in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet in about a 1/4-inch layer of oil. Heat over medium. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the breaded chicken and fry until the cutlets are golden brown and completely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Ladle half the tomato sauce in a baking dish, top with the chicken cutlets and cover with the remining sauce and sprinkle the cheese over top. Bake until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes.