Lemony Chicken Milanese With Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6 and boil a kettle

Cover your chicken breast portion[s] in cling film and bash with a rolling pin until evenly flattened and approx. 1cm in thickness

Combine your panko breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] olive oil and a pinch of salt on a large plate

Zest half your lemon[s] (try to grate lightly with a micro-plane or sharp box grater and avoid grating the white pith, as this is very bitter!)

Add the lemon zest to the breadcrumbs and give everything a good mix up – these are your lemony breadcrumbs

Combine the juice of the lemon[s] with 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then stir it all together

Dip the flattened chicken in the lemon & olive oil, then press firmly into the lemony breadcrumbs until both sides are well coated

Add the coated chicken to an oiled baking tray (or two!) and put the tray[s] in the oven for 20 min or until cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your lemony chicken Milanese

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop your red onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Pick your basil leaves from their stems and finely chop, discard the stems

Heat a pot with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the chopped onion and cook for 5 min until softened, then add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 min further

Add your chopped tomatoes with 50ml [75ml] [100ml] water, your chicken stock mix and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar then bring to the boil over a high heat

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 min

Whilst the sauce is cooking, add your wholewheat spaghetti to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the spaghetti for 7-9 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Once done, drain the spaghetti, reserving the pot

Wash your spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Return the reserved pot to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil

Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 min or until wilted

Drain off any excess liquid and season with a pinch of salt

Stir the chopped basil into the tomato sauce

Slice the lemony chicken Milanese on a clean board