Parmesan Chicken with Roasted Romaine and Asparagus

March 16, 2012 · 2 comments

Over the past year or so, Radically Simple by Rozanne Gold has become a favorite. Her recipes are easy and as the book title suggests, incredibly simple. I’m always amazed by how much flavor she gets from very few ingredients. This recipe is adapted from the March 2012 Bon Appetit, in which Rozanne writes about “sheet pan dinners.” The clean up is a lot easier with just one pan and it’s also an easy way to make sure everything is ready all at once. I’ve added asparagus here, which is just coming into season thanks to a very mild winter and an unseasonably warm, early spring. The addition made the sheet pan a bit crowded, but the result was great.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 large hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise
1 lemon, quartered
Everyday Vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Arrange on one side of the foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, panko, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Evenly distribute the breadcrumb mixture over the chicken breasts. On the other side of the baking sheet, arrange the asparagus. You may not be able to get it all in one layer, but try to spread it out in the remaining space on the baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on the middle rack for 10 minutes.
While the chicken and asparagus are roasting, mix the remaining tablespoon of oil in a bowl with garlic and anchovy paste. Season with salt and pepper.
After 10 minutes in the oven, the chicken should be nicely browned on top but not yet cooked though. Push the asparagus to the side and arrange the romaine in the remaining space on the baking sheet. It will be a bit cramped by now! Drizzle the garlic and anchovy oil over the romaine and pop the whole sheet back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The edges of the romaine will become browned and crispy.
Serve the chicken with romaine and asparagus. Garnish with lemon wedges. If you’d like a little more dressing on the romaine, drizzle a little vinaigrette to finish.
Quick Tips
1. Anchovy paste comes in a tube near the tuna and other canned fish. It can be skipped, but it does lend a flavor that makes this taste like a Caesar salad. In this quantity, it’s not at all fishy.
2. If you are working with very thick chicken breasts, be sure to check them for doneness. You may need to put them back in the oven for another few minutes. Be sure to remove the romaine and asparagus first. Set them aside until the chicken is ready.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Susi Machalski March 20, 2012 at 1:34 pm: This was so delicious and easy, it’s almost too good to be true – going into constant rotation in the Machalski house! The Everyday Vinaigrette was a great addition, too.

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Leah M April 12, 2012 at 9:41 pm: Made this for the family last night. Fast and delicious. Even my 2 year old loved it!

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