Chicken Parmesan

The chicken thighs in this recipe can be substituted with 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Ingredients
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or Emeril's Essence)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning pasta
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of Chef Jeff's Pasta Sauce
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente and kept warm
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon of the creole seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Place the flour into a small bowl. Place the egg and milk into a second small bowl. Place the bread crumbs, rosemary, and thyme into a third small bowl, toss to combine.

Dip each chicken thigh into the flour, then the beaten egg mixture, and finally into the bread crumbs, shaking to rid of excess between each step. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining thighs. When all of the thighs are breaded, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken thighs to the other side and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over each thigh and divide the mozzarella slices evenly among the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Adjust the oven setting to broil and continue to cook until the cheese bubbles and is lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.

While the chicken is baking, reheat the pasta sauce if necessary. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pasta and toss until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough of the pasta sauce to just coat the pasta and divide between 4 large serving plates.

When the chicken is ready, top each plate of pasta with a little more sauce and top each serving with a chicken thigh. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.