How to Make a Quick Italian Dinner

You come home from work, are tired and want to eat now. You wonder, what can I make that will be fast and still taste great? How about chicken parmesan with pasta, bread and a bottle of wine? Follow the seven steps below, and you will create a delicious meal in about 45 minutes or less. If you are really in a hurry, you can even handle the prep work (Step 2) the day or morning before, and all you need is about the 20 to 25 minutes it takes to bake. All you need is a glass pan, medium and large sized pots, and the ingredients listed in Step 1.

Step 1 - Ingredients

You will need the following:

3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg

1 tablespoon of milk

1 teaspoon of salt

1 canister of breadcrumbs

5 small cans of tomato sauce

Garlic powder and other various spices (optional),

Parmesan cheese (canister)

Mozzarella cheese (8 oz package)

½ pound of angel hair pasta

1 loaf of French bread

Butter or margarine

1 bottle of Riesling or Chardonnay wine

Step 2 - Prepping the chicken

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Make sure the chicken is defrosted. Trim off any excess fat. Combine the egg and teaspoon of milk in a medium sized bowl. Spread a few handfuls of breadcrumbs on wax paper. This will be your breading station. Dip each chicken breast in the egg/milk mixture and then coat with breading. Once done, place the breaded chicken in a glass pan and bake on the breading for about 10 to 15 minutes. Leave the oven on, because you will need it for Step 4.

Step 3 - Preparing the sauce

Pour the five cans of tomato sauce into a medium sized pot. I like to season with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, basil and oregano. Then I add a little parmesan cheese. Use the spices of your choice and season to taste. The only two I would make sure to include are the garlic powder and parmesan cheese. The rest is up to you.

Step 4 - Finishing touches for the chicken