Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce
Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce
Flattened chicken breasts baked under fontina, bacon and a caper-anchovy tomato sauce — pizzaiola flavours on poultry.
Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 40 minutes
What Is Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce?
Chicken breasts flattened, layered with fontina and bacon, then baked under a mashed plum-tomato sauce sharpened with capers, anchovy and oregano — pizzaiola treatment for poultry.
Why Make Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce?
- Pizzaiola flavour without standing at the stove
- Fontina melts into a silky layer under the sauce
- Bacon bastes the chicken as it bakes
- One dish, straight to the oven
- Capers and anchovy season the sauce for you
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 mL plum tomatoes (with their liquid (7 oz))
- 4 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp capers (drained and chopped)
- 2 anchovy fillets (chopped)
- 1/4 tsp oregano (chopped)
- 5 slices fontina cheese
- 75 g bacon (slices, rind removed)
Instructions
- Put the tomatoes and their liquid in a bowl and mash with a fork; season with salt and pepper, then add the oil, capers, anchovies and oregano.
- Flatten the chicken breasts with a meat mallet and lay them in an oiled ovenproof dish.
- Season with salt and pepper and cover with the fontina slices.
- Lay the bacon slices on top of the cheese.
- Top with the tomato mixture and bake at 375F (190C) for 40 minutes.
Cooking Tips
- Flatten the breasts evenly so they cook through together
- Mash the tomatoes roughly — the sauce should stay rustic
- Tuck the bacon fully over the cheese so it crisps
- Check doneness at 40 minutes; juices should run clear
- Spoon the dish juices over when serving
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce
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1. What does pizzaiola mean?
'Pizza-maker's style' — cooked with tomatoes, oregano and garlic, the flavours of a Neapolitan pizza.
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2. Can I substitute the fontina?
Mozzarella or provolone melt similarly; fontina brings extra nuttiness.
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3. Can I skip the bacon?
Yes — the dish loses some richness but works; brush the cheese with olive oil instead.
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4. Why mash canned tomatoes instead of using sauce?
Rough-mashed tomatoes keep texture and brightness that smooth sauce lacks.
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5. What do I serve with it?
Crusty bread, rice or a simple green salad to catch the sauce.
Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce Made Simple
Chicken Breast with Pizzaiola Sauce borrows the steakhouse classic for an easy oven bake. Unico plum tomatoes, capers and anchovies make the sauce sing.