Chicken Cutlet with Buttered Spaghetti
Panko-crusted chicken cutlets fry until deeply golden, then rest alongside spaghetti tossed simply in butter, garlic, parmesan, and lemon zest.
Pounding the chicken thin means it fries fast enough that the crust stays crisp instead of soaking up oil while the inside catches up. The spaghetti alongside stays simple on purpose, tossed only in butter, garlic, and lemon zest so it does not compete with the fried cutlet. Finish both with a shower of parmesan and parsley right before serving.
Ingredients
Method
Tap a number to mark a step doneBring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until just al dente.
Reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti, since you will need it for the sauce.
While the pasta cooks, pound the chicken breasts to an even half-inch thickness and season with half the salt and the black pepper.
Dredge the cutlets through the flour, then the beaten egg, then the panko mixed with half the parmesan, pressing to coat evenly.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the cutlets for 3 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
Melt the butter in a separate large pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Toss the drained spaghetti in the garlic butter with a splash of the reserved pasta water, the lemon zest, remaining parmesan, and remaining salt, then plate it alongside the chicken and scatter with parsley.
Kitchen note
Save some pasta water before draining; a splash of it loosens the butter sauce so it coats every strand instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
