Crispy Baked Mozzarella Chicken with Spaghetti Marinara

This baked mozzarella chicken brings together a crisp seasoned panko topping, juicy chicken breasts and a blanket of melted cheese without any frying.

Serve it over spaghetti coated in a quick crushed tomato sauce with onion and fresh basil for a comforting Italian-inspired dinner.

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Ingredients

1 unit Yellow OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 ounce BasilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Panko BreadcrumbsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Tuscan Heat SpiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Chicken BreastsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 ounce SpaghettiView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

13.76 ounce Crushed TomatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Mozzarella CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry the onion and basil.
2. Halve, peel and finely mince the onion. Remove the basil leaves from the stems. Finely chop the stems, then stack and roll the leaves and slice them into thin ribbons.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs, half the Tuscan-style seasoning, a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Place it on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
5. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over the top of each chicken breast. Mound the seasoned panko on top, pressing gently so it sticks. The underside does not need to be coated.
6. Roast the chicken on the top oven rack until the crust is browned and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
8. While the pasta cooks, heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chopped basil stems and remaining Tuscan-style seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the pasta is ready.
10. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce for serving.
11. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water, the drained spaghetti and butter to the pan with the remaining sauce. Toss until the pasta is coated. If needed, add more reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and loose enough to coat the noodles.
12. Stir half the sliced basil leaves into the spaghetti, then remove the pan from the heat.
13. When the chicken is cooked through, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Turn the broiler to high or increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
14. Sprinkle mozzarella over the chicken and return it to the oven until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes.
15. Divide the spaghetti among plates or shallow bowls. Top with the baked mozzarella chicken, spoon the reserved tomato sauce over the chicken and finish with the remaining basil.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Do I need to bread the bottom of the chicken?

No. Coat only the top with sour cream and seasoned panko so it bakes into a crisp crust.

What should I do if the spaghetti sauce gets too thick?

Add reserved pasta cooking water a little at a time until the sauce loosens and coats the spaghetti.

How do I know when the chicken is ready for the cheese?

The chicken should be browned on top and cooked through before you add the mozzarella and return it briefly to the oven.