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This dish is my lighter version of the classic!

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 cup canned artichoke hearts (drained, rinsed and chopped)
1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 cup fontina or mozzarella cheese, shredded finely
Freshly grated Parmesan (not finely grated)
2 small zucchini, spiralized into noodles (if using pasta 1 pound spaghetti pasta cooked el dente)

Directions

Sauce –
Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat.  Then add the onions, garlic, and oregano; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives, artichokes and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Chicken –
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet (you can use a rolling pin), until they are about 1/2-inch thick. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and Dijon mustard, beat until frothy, season with salt and pepper.

Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then place on a cookie sheet.  Top each cutlet with grated parmesan.  Cook in oven for 15 minutes.  Then put some grated  fontina or mozzarella on top of each cutlet and let cook 5 more minutes.

While chicken is cooking, cook the zucchini noodles in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.

Platting

Plate the cooked pasta or zucchini noodles and ladle the tomato sauce on top, add chicken and sprinkle with basil.

Note:  This is a lighter version of the classic and does not include coating cutlets with flour or breadcrumbs.  The chicken still has a nice crunchy top from the cheese.  The chicken is baked rather than being fried – to keep the dish light.

This can be served as a light lunch if you have guests over.

Enjoy!