Homemade Chicken Parmigiana Over Penne
When a Restaurant Craving Turns Into Dinner at Home
A craving for Chicken Parmigiana had me thinking about Olive Garden—but instead of going out, I checked my kitchen, picked up just a couple of missing ingredients, and made my own version at home. Crispy chicken, homemade tomato-basil sauce, melted cheese, and penne pasta made this one worth adding to my Taste Journal.
Sometimes Dinner Starts With a Craving
There are days when I already know exactly what I want to cook—and then there are days when a craving decides dinner for me. 😆
This time, I was craving Chicken Parmigiana, the kind of comforting Italian-American meal that makes you think of a restaurant dinner: crispy breaded chicken, rich tomato sauce, lots of melted cheese, and pasta on the side.
My first thought was Olive Garden.
But before heading out, I thought, Why not make it at home?
I checked the pantry and refrigerator and realized I already had most of what I needed. A quick stop for a couple of missing ingredients later, and dinner plans officially changed.
Restaurant craving → homemade dinner. ❤️
Cooking With What I Already Have
One thing I enjoy about cooking at home is that a recipe doesn't always have to be followed exactly.
I usually look at a recipe for inspiration, see what I already have in my kitchen, and make little adjustments along the way. That's part of the fun.
For this dish, I used chicken breast, flour, eggs and breadcrumbs for the coating; tomato sauce and fire-roasted diced tomatoes for the sauce; onion, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for flavor; and plenty of cheese for that irresistible Chicken Parmigiana finish.
And instead of the more traditional spaghetti, I used penne.
Because that's what was in my pantry. 😆
And honestly? It worked beautifully.
Building That Crispy Coating
The chicken gets its crispy exterior through a simple breading process.
I started by preparing the chicken into thinner pieces so they would cook evenly. Each piece was lightly seasoned, coated in flour, dipped into beaten egg, and then covered with breadcrumbs.
Nothing complicated—but this is the step that creates that beautiful golden crust.
Flour → egg → breadcrumbs → skillet.
The Moment It Starts Smelling Really Good 😆
Once the chicken hit the hot oil, the kitchen started smelling amazing.
I pan-fried each piece until the coating became crisp and beautifully golden brown. Cooking in batches helped keep the pan from getting overcrowded and allowed that crust to develop properly.
And yes... at this point, eating one piece straight from the pan was very tempting. 😂
A Simple Tomato-Basil Sauce
While the chicken rested, I worked on the sauce.
I sautéed onion, added the tomatoes and seasonings, and allowed everything to simmer together until the flavors developed and the sauce thickened.
Then came one of my favorite ingredients—fresh basil. 🌿
There is something about fresh basil hitting a warm tomato sauce that instantly changes the aroma of the entire kitchen.
A little Italian seasoning, black pepper and crushed red pepper gave it even more flavor.
And Then Comes the Cheese...
The crispy chicken went into the baking dish with tomato sauce and cheese layered over the top.
Then into the oven it went.
A few minutes later...
THIS happened. 😍
Golden chicken underneath, warm tomato sauce, and beautifully melted cheese bubbling over the top.
At this point, Chicken Parmigiana officially became dinner.
Penne Instead of Spaghetti
While the chicken finished, I cooked the penne until al dente.
I kept the pasta fairly simple because the chicken and tomato sauce were already bringing plenty of flavor. A little cheese over the warm pasta was enough before adding the sauce.
And this is another reason I love home cooking:
Use what you have. Make it your own.
Want to Make It? Here's My Recipe ❤️
For the Chicken
4 large chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into about 8–9 thin cutlets
Salt, black pepper, and Italian herbs, for seasoning
½ cup all-purpose flour
For the Egg Wash
2 large eggs
2 tbsp water
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
For the Breading
1½ cups plain breadcrumbs
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
For Frying
1½ cups grapeseed oil, or enough for shallow frying
Olive oil can be used instead.
For the Tomato-Basil Sauce
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup yellow onion, minced
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
¼ cup white wine
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp Italian seasoning or mixed Italian herbs
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
6–8 fresh basil leaves
For the Pasta & Cheese
1 (16 oz) box penne pasta
1 package sliced provolone cheese, about 10–12 slices*
1 block Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded as needed
Extra fresh basil for garnish
16–18 slices provolone cheese, about 2 per chicken cutlet
A Recipe to Guide Me
As usual when I'm trying something new, I turned to Google for a little inspiration. 😄 I found RecipeTin Eats’ Chicken Parmigiana recipe by Nagi Maehashi and used it as my guide.
But cooking in my kitchen rarely means following every ingredient exactly. Sometimes I use what I already have, sometimes I substitute something I prefer, and sometimes I simply make the recipe work for tonight's dinner.
For this one, I used penne instead of spaghetti, grapeseed oil instead of olive oil, and regular plain breadcrumbs instead of panko.
Nothing complicated—just simple substitutions based on what I already had in my kitchen. That's part of what I enjoy about cooking: starting with a good recipe, learning from it, and then making it work in my own kitchen. ❤️
Recipe inspiration: Chicken Parmigiana by RecipeTin Eats. My version reflects the ingredients, substitutions, quantities, and cooking process I used in my own kitchen.
How I Made It
1. Prepare the Chicken
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Washing raw chicken can spread bacteria through splashing, so that wording is safer for readers.. Place one chicken breast on a cutting board and carefully slice it horizontally into 2–3 thinner pieces, depending on the size of the breast.
Place each piece between plastic wrap and gently pound it until it's about ⅓-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Season both sides of each piece with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2. Set Up the Breading Station
Prepare three dishes:
Flour:
Place ½ cup flour in the first dish.
Egg Wash:
Whisk together 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons water, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
Breadcrumbs:
Combine 1½ cups plain breadcrumbs, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
Working one piece at a time:
Flour → Egg Wash → Breadcrumbs
Make sure each piece is nicely coated with breadcrumbs before frying.
3. Fry the Chicken
Heat about 1½ cups grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Olive oil can also be used.
Fry the breaded chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, turning once so both sides become crispy.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or tray while you finish the remaining pieces.
Emie's Kitchen Tip ❤️: Since four large chicken breasts gave me about 8–9 thin pieces, I used two frying pans at the same time. It made the frying go much faster!
4. Make the Tomato-Basil Sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and ⅓ cup minced yellow onion. Sauté until fragrant and the onion becomes translucent.
Add the 2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the 6 oz tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour in ¼ cup white wine and allow it to cook down and evaporate for several minutes.
Season with ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Add 6–8 fresh basil leaves and let the sauce continue to simmer.
Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning if needed. That's one of my favorite parts of cooking—taste, adjust, and make it your own. ❤️
5. Cook the Penne
Cook 1 box (16 oz) penne pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain and set aside.
I used Great Value penne because that's what I had in my pantry, although I usually use Barilla. 😊
6. Assemble the Chicken Parmigiana
Arrange the fried chicken pieces in a baking dish or oven-safe pan. Since I had about 8–9 pieces, I used both a baking dish and a pan.
Spoon some of the homemade tomato sauce over each piece of chicken.
Top each chicken piece with about 2 slices of provolone cheese.
7. Broil Until Bubbly & Golden
Place the chicken under the broiler for about 3 minutes, watching it carefully.
Remove it from the oven and generously shred fresh Parmesan cheese over the chicken—and, in my case, pretty much everywhere around the dish too. 😆
Return it under the broiler for another 1–2 minutes, just until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beautifully browned.
Watch it closely! Broiling happens quickly, and we want bubbly golden cheese—not burned cheese. 😄
8. Plate & Enjoy ❤️
Place the cooked penne on your plate and spoon some of that homemade tomato-basil sauce over the pasta.
Place a piece of Chicken Parmigiana on top, shred a little more Parmesan over everything, and finish with a few slices of fresh basil.
Then sit down and enjoy the fruit of your labor. Yum! ❤️
From My Kitchen to Our Table
And there it was—my homemade Chicken Parmigiana over Penne.
Crispy chicken underneath all that melted cheese, homemade tomato-basil sauce, pasta, and a little fresh basil over the top.
What started as a craving for a restaurant meal turned into something made right in my own kitchen.
And somehow, meals like this always feel a little more special.
Not because they're perfect.
But because you made them yourself, adjusted them along the way, and eventually sat down with the people you love to enjoy what came out of your kitchen. ❤️
Another Taste Footprint ❤️
Food leaves footprints too—in the recipes we discover, the dishes we recreate, and the meals that eventually become part of our family table.
This one started with a simple Chicken Parmigiana craving... and earned itself a place in my Taste Journal.
Until the next taste footprint,
Emie ❤️
Taste Journal • From My Kitchen • Italian-Inspired • Family Table
