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Rachael Ray

Stuffed Eggplant and Chicken Parm with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Rach sandwiches eggplant and chicken for a parm dish to satisfy all. Taste the influence of her mom's lessons in the tomato-basil sauce!

Rach sandwiches eggplant and chicken for a parm dish to satisfy all. Taste the influence of her mom's lessons in the tomato-basil sauce!

Ingredients

For the tomato basil sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cans San Marzano tomatoes (28-32 ounces each)
  • 2 cups passata
  • A few leaves of torn basil
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • Flour, for dredging
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved across forming 4 large cutlets, then pounded very thin
  • Pepper
  • 8 thin slices fior di latte cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Olive oil, for shallow frying
  • 1 pound spaghetti, for side dish (optional - crusty bread is fine for mopping as well)

Preparation

Salt the eggplant and drain on paper or kitchen towels for 20 minutes. Pat dry.

Heat the oil over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook, covered, until very soft, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat a bit and add the stock, tomatoes and passata. Bring to a bubble, then break up the tomatoes and add the basil. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes; season with sea salt, to taste.

Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon zest and herbs in a shallow dish. Pour the flour into a second dish and beat the eggs in a third.

Season the pounded chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Form a sandwich with one eggplant slice, two slices mozzarella and one chicken cutlet, covering the cheese completely. Coat the sandwiches with the flour, egg then breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil, about a quarter-inch, for shallow frying over medium to medium-high heat. Fry the sandwiches two at a time until cooked through and deeply golden, 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Keep warm on a rack set over a baking sheet in a warm oven at 275°F. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Raise the oven heat to 375°F.

Spread some sauce in a casserole dish and shingle in the sandwiches. Top with a little more sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano; bake until golden.

Cook some spaghetti to al dente or char some bread to pass at the table. If you make the spaghetti, drain it and toss with a cup of reserved starchy cooking water, some tomato sauce, butter and extra cheese. Pass the remaining sauce at the table with the stuffed eggplant and chicken parm.

Ingredients

For the tomato basil sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cans San Marzano tomatoes (28-32 ounces each)
  • 2 cups passata
  • A few leaves of torn basil
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • Flour, for dredging
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved across forming 4 large cutlets, then pounded very thin
  • Pepper
  • 8 thin slices fior di latte cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Olive oil, for shallow frying
  • 1 pound spaghetti, for side dish (optional - crusty bread is fine for mopping as well)

Directions

Salt the eggplant and drain on paper or kitchen towels for 20 minutes. Pat dry.

Heat the oil over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook, covered, until very soft, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat a bit and add the stock, tomatoes and passata. Bring to a bubble, then break up the tomatoes and add the basil. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes; season with sea salt, to taste.

Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon zest and herbs in a shallow dish. Pour the flour into a second dish and beat the eggs in a third.

Season the pounded chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Form a sandwich with one eggplant slice, two slices mozzarella and one chicken cutlet, covering the cheese completely. Coat the sandwiches with the flour, egg then breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil, about a quarter-inch, for shallow frying over medium to medium-high heat. Fry the sandwiches two at a time until cooked through and deeply golden, 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Keep warm on a rack set over a baking sheet in a warm oven at 275°F. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Raise the oven heat to 375°F.

Spread some sauce in a casserole dish and shingle in the sandwiches. Top with a little more sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano; bake until golden.

Cook some spaghetti to al dente or char some bread to pass at the table. If you make the spaghetti, drain it and toss with a cup of reserved starchy cooking water, some tomato sauce, butter and extra cheese. Pass the remaining sauce at the table with the stuffed eggplant and chicken parm.

Tags:Breakfast, Chicken, Dinner, undoRS