Chicken Valdostana with Prosciutto (Printable)

Breaded chicken topped with prosciutto and Fontina cheese in a savory tomato-wine pan sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Dredging

02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
03 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Topping

04 - 4 slices prosciutto
05 - 4 slices Fontina cheese (or mozzarella)

→ Sauce

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
08 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
09 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
10 - 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves, for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Place each chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper and pound with a meat mallet until approximately 3/8 inch thick.
03 - Season the flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each flattened chicken breast in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
04 - In a large oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, sauté the finely chopped shallot until softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the dry white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the crushed tomatoes and dried oregano; simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto followed by a slice of Fontina cheese. Spoon a small amount of sauce over each portion.
07 - Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving. Serve hot, accompanied by crusty bread or sautéed greens.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of salty prosciutto and creamy melted cheese over pan seared chicken feels like something you would order at a trattoria in Milan but it comes together in under an hour.
  • The light tomato sauce is built right in the same pan so every bit of flavor gets layered into the final dish without extra pots and pans piling up in your sink.
02 -
  • Do not skip pounding the chicken flat because uneven thickness means the thin end dries out before the thick end cooks through and that is a mistake I made more than once before learning better.
  • Let the wine reduce properly before adding the tomatoes because that step concentrates the flavor and burns off the harsh alcohol taste that otherwise lingers in the finished sauce.
03 -
  • Use an oven proof skillet from the start so you never have to transfer the chicken to a different dish which means fewer dishes and less risk of the sauce spilling everywhere.
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before dredging because excess moisture is the enemy of a good sear and a soggy crust will never recover no matter how long you cook it.

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