Spaghetti with Chicken

Coat a saute pan with 1/4 cup olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add half of the hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF / 230ºC.

Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Lay the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick.

Place the flour in a shallow pan and season generously with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot over spaghetti.