Years ago, we had a restaurant in town called “The American Cafe”. They had these pasta dishes called “Pasta Pies” and of the three they sold, this was my second favorite! (My first being the Smoked Chicken.) Since it’s been way too long since my last Pasta Pie fix, I decided to create my own! It’s an easy recipe, but has several steps that make you feel like it takes a while, but you’ll find the end result well worth it!

For the sauce:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp basil
• 2 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 oz water

For the chicken:

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cutlets
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp water
• 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup flour
• vegetable oil for frying

• 12 oz Penne pasta
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Prepare the sauce first. In a stock pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let cook 10 minutes until onions are soft. mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, seasonings, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a slight bubble. Reduce heat, cover and simmer while preparing the chicken.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a height of 1 inch, and heat on medium high. Set up a frying station; breadcrumbs in one bowl, beaten eggs and 1 tsp water in another, and flour in a large zip lock bag. 

While chicken is cooling, cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Stir pasta into sauce. Cut cooked chicken into bite size pieces and stir into pasta. Pour pasta into a greased 13×9 inch casserole pan. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted on top. Serve with a salad!