Don’t you just love dinners that can be made in thirty minutes or less? I do– especially when I’m just getting back from traveling and don’t have time to do my regular meal planning. I got back from a trip to Vermont very late Sunday night, and even though I took Monday off to recoup, I still didn’t feel like cooking a long recipe. 

Baked chicken parmesan may seem like a simple recipe– but sometimes simple is better! This is one of my go-to recipes for busy nights. The chicken gets nice and crispy and the fresh mozzarella gets nice and bubbly under the broiler in this easy weeknight favorite. 

One of my favorite ways to make pasta dishes (you’ve probably seen this before on the blog) is to combine half zucchini noodles with half pasta. It’s an easy way to cut the carbs in half and add some veggies to any pasta dish. Zoodles blend in perfectly with thin spaghetti- they’re exactly the same size so you barely even notice they’re there. 

Fresh basil and mozzarella both add a “restaurant” quality to this meal without much extra effort! By using your favorite jarred marinara sauce, you’re saving yourself another step by not having to make sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I like making my own pasta sauce, but sometimes you ain’t got time for that. 

When looking for jarred pasta sauce, make sure to choose one that doesn’t have any high fructose corn syrup added and that is lower in sodium. 

These are my first pictures taken with my new camera and my new 50mm lens. I’m super excited to learn more about food photography! After Blog Brulee this past weekend, I am SO pumped and excited to get into this whole camera-world. If you have any tips or know of any great resources for new DSLR/50mm lens newbies, leave me a comment or a link below! 

Here’s the simple recipe: 

Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan

2015-09-15 22:40:00

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1. 1/2 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (15oz)
2. 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
3. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4. 4 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets
5. 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
6. 1 tsp garlic powder
7. 2 medium zucchini
8. 8 ounces thin spaghetti
9. 1 Tbsp olive oil
10. 2 tsp minced garlic
11. 2 ounces fresh mozarella cheese, thinly sliced
12. 1/2 cup sliced basil leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine the Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread over the chicken breasts. Combine the panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder. Dredge the cutlets in the mixture. Place chicken on a wire rack coated with cooking spray on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until done (165 degrees F).
3. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
4. Using a julienne peeler, peel the zucchini into strips.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the minced garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add the zucchini, cook 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and spaghetti. Toss until combined.
6. Preheat the broiler to high. Top each cutlet evenly with the mozarella. Broil 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
7. Serve the pasta with chicken, garnished with the fresh basil leaves.

By Emily @ Zen & Spice

Zen & Spice https://zenandspice.com/