Cooking Done Light

This chicken parm recipe has been revised at least 10 times in an attempt to achieve that delicious, moist, yet crisp chicken parm texture without the calories that come along with the typical frying method. I think it is just about perfect, and many taste testers agree that it rivals those found in their favorite Italian restaurants.

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup light parmesan cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed)

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 slices provolone cheese (use light if you prefer)

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta (I use linguine)

1 jar plain marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites. Using a meat tenderizer, or other heavy object, place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 in thickness. Dip breasts into egg whites, then coat well with the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange chicken in the baking dish and drizzle the tops with the teaspoon of olive oil (you could lightly spray the tops with olive oil cooking spray instead if you wish to omit the oil). Bake for 20 minutes, top each chicken breast with a slice of provolone, and bake an additional 5 minutes (or until cheese has melted).

While the chicken cooks, heat the marinara in a small saucepan over medium low heat, and cook pasta according to package directions. To serve, plate the linguine topped with a large spoonful of sauce, then place the chicken breast over the pasta, and top with additional sauce.

Makes 4 Servings. per serving(including pasta): 232 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 107 mg sodium, 9 mg cholesterol