Chicken Parm is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It’s as much an American classic as a burger and fries or angel food cake. The good news is that Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made from skim milk to start with, so there is no need to replace it with “cheese food” or anything else that’s unsuccessfully impersonating the real thing. In this version, thin chicken cutlets are grilled and topped with reduced-fat mozzarella and then sprinkled with breadcrumbs just before finishing the dish for a crispy browned topping.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

　　4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each), trimmed of all fat, pounded thin

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce (page 206) or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce

　　1 cup drained canned whole plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

　　1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves

　　1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, such as Weight Watchers

　　1 1/2 ounces (about 6 tablespoons) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　1/2 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Lightly spray a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray, and set it aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the grill is hot, spray the chicken lightly with olive oil spray. Grill until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

　　

Step 3

Spread a little less than half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay the grilled chicken breasts on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the chicken; scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the chopped basil, the mozzarella, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

　　

Step 4

Bake the chicken until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the panko and remaining basil on top, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 49g (before), 9.3g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 1,090 (before), 332 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 39g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 20g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 91mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 767mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.