Sharing the secret: My homemade marinara sauce and chicken parmesan

I am part Italian, and have always eaten homemade marinara sauce.  My grandfather made his own sauce, my mom made her own sauce, and so I created my own sauce.  As I have mentioned before, my husband likes my sauce so much, he does not like to got to Italian restaurants because their sauce isn't as good as mine.  Therefore, I thought it would be fun to share my secret recipe with you.  The trick is to make a large batch so that you can freeze some for later meals.  This way you can have pasta marinara one night, add some ground beef for bolognaise for another night, and have some left for chicken parmesan.   I usually get three to four meals worth from one batch.  

Here is what you need:

• A large stock pot
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 12 lbs of Roma tomatoes, (fresh not canned) washed and diced (leave the skin on)
• 1 large green pepper (diced)
• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 1/2 tbls black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 8 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 large cans of tomato paste

Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pot.  Add the tomatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic.  Simmer for one hour, then add the salt, black pepper, oregano, and basil. Simmer for another hour then add the two cans of tomato paste and simmer for and additional 1/2 hour.   

For Chicken Parmesan:

• 3 large chicken breast cut in half and pound to 1/2 inch uniform thickness
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs (you can use your own but make sure they are dry)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ball of buffalo mozzarella (7-8oz) or one bag of shredded mozzarella (8 oz)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.  Place the bread crumbs evenly on a large plate or board.  

When the oil is hot, dip the chicken pieces (one at a time) in the egg wash, and then coat them with the bread crumbs and place in the oil. (Repeat with each piece of chicken).

Heat the chicken about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Top the chicken with a small amount of sauce and then even parts of the mozzarella and a sprinkle of grated parmensan.  The heat of the chicken and sauce will melt the cheese. 

Serve with your favorite pasta and top with the sauce, add a little more Parmesan cheese and Mangia! 

This meal always makes me a happy girl!