Put a pot of heavily salted water on to boil for your pasta. Pasta water should taste as salty as broth or stock, so the noodles have great flavor after they are done cooking. Literally, sip a few drops of the water from a spoon before cooking the pasta. If it doesn’t taste salty, add more salt.

While the water is coming to a boil, pound the chicken breasts so they will cook quickly and evenly. This simple step shaves half the usual cooking time! The chicken should be a uniform 1/2-inch thickness when you have finished.

Add the oil to a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken pieces into the hot oil to begin browning them.

Salt and pepper the chicken right in the skillet. Sear each chicken breast portion for 4-6 minutes on that first side. Check to make sure they are becoming golden brown. When they have, flip them to the other side.

Salt and pepper the second side of the chicken. Allow it to caramelize and become golden just like you did the first side. When it is browned, remove all the chicken to a plate to rest. 

Pour the pasta sauce into the skillet you just cooked the chicken in. I use a store brand sauce, but we doctor it up with some petite diced tomatoes, our favorite herbs and a touch of sugar. If the one you buy is perfect as-is, don’t do a single extra thing. Make this recipe your own and fix it just the way your family enjoys it.

Get that sauce bubbling in the skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken breasts back to the pan. Spoon a little sauce over each piece and then top with grated Mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan.  Put the lid back on the skillet just long enough to get the cheese melty and gooey and dripping down the sides of the chicken.