Cook Yourself Thin - Cheezy Chicken Parmesan With Zucchini "Pasta"

This recipe comes from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook and is a healthy take on a classic favorite: chicken parm.  It's called Cheezy Chicken Parmesan With Zucchini "Pasta"

Their original recipe can be seen on the Lifetime Network website.  What follows below is my exact modification....

For the tomato sauce and zucchini pappardelle

• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• one 28-ounce can Hunt’s No Salt Added Plum Tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 large zucchini, thinly sliced, seed centers discarded

For the chicken

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons extra for serving
• 1/4 cup Progresso plain bread crumbs
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split in half
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. For the sauce, heat one-half tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. (Check a few times during cooking; if vegetables begin to brown, add 2 teaspoons water and stir.) Add the tomatoes with juice, basil and another 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently 5 minutes. Then simmer very gently, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with pepper.
2. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick long pappardelle-like strips, turning the zucchini and slicing on 4 sides only until you see the center seeds. Discard the centers (or save them for making homemade stock).
3. Remove the tomato sauce to a bowl; no need to clean the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until wilted, tossing often with tongs for even cooking, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the tomato sauce to the pan, add a third of the parsley, and season with pepper; transfer to a bowl for holding, cover and set aside.
4. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, the remaining parsley, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the egg white on a second plate or in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken into the egg whites, and then into the bread crumb mixture to coat completely.
5. Heat the same nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until chicken is firm, and lightly browned on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes.
6. To serve, make a “twist” of zucchini pappardelle on each of 4 plates. Lean chicken cutlets against the side of zucchini. Scoop 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each plate.  To garnish each plate, sprinkle with a one-quarter of the remaining Parmesan.  (The only reason we didn't do the "drizzle with olive oil" from the original recipe was because we forgot....and really, we don't think the dish needed it -- so why not save some fat and calories.)

Makes 4 delicious servings.

• 364 calories
• 39 grams protein
• 24 grams carbs
• 12 grams fat
• 5 grams fiber
• 628 mg sodium