Infused Chicken Parmesan and Pasta Recipe

For dinner’s main course, go Italian with a personal family recipe I made for my sweetie the other night: chicken parmesan with pasta, modified to incorporate a small dose of cannabis-infused oil.

Start to finish: 3 hours (45 minutes active)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• ½ cup salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup flour
• 1 egg, stirred in a wide bowl
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons infused olive oil
• Marinara sauce (homemade is best but grab a jar if that’s easier)
• 1 pound pasta (I used penne but choose the shape you like best)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese per chicken breast

Directions:

1. A few hours prior to the start of your meal, brine the chicken. Combine salt and sugar with cold water, stir to dissolve, and add the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to three hours.
2. About 45 minutes from when you want to have dinner, remove the chicken from the brine and dry with a paper towel.
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
4. Assemble your flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken in flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
5. Once the chicken is breaded, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick frying pan.
6. Place the chicken into the hot oil and bring to a golden brown on both sides (this will not cook the chicken the whole way through, you’re just looking for a golden crust). When both sides are golden brown, remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towels.
7. Spread ¼ inch of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9” x 13” rectangular pan. Place chicken breasts onto the sauce and cover with more sauce, then cover each chicken breast with parmesan cheese.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F. While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta until it’s al dente, strain, and set aside.
9. Remove chicken from oven and serve immediately over pasta.

Note: The amounts of cannabis cooking oil specified in this recipe is a very loose suggestion; the actual amount you use should be modified based on the strength of your oil and the potency you desire. Dosing homemade edibles can be tricky (click here to learn why), so the best way to test for potency is to start with one portion of a serving, wait one to two hours, then make an informed decision on whether to consume more. Always dose carefully and listen to your body, and never drive under the influence of cannabis.