Best Chicken Parmesan

Make the sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Keep warm until needed.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

At the same time, start the chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Set out three large mixing bowls for breading chicken. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in the first bowl. Whisk together eggs and milk in the second bowl. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the third bowl.

Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and flatten with a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Dredge a chicken breast in flour mixture and shake off excess. Dip into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place onto a plate. Repeat to bread remaining chicken.

Fill a large, cast iron skillet with 1 inch oil; heat over medium-high heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Add breaded chicken in batches; cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and the cheeses have melted, about 5 minutes.

Plate pasta portions. Stir basil into sauce and ladle over pasta. Top each portion with chicken.