Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

This recipe really isn't as much work as it first appears. Just make you have every set out in little piles, so that you don't cross-contaminate. Set up a little assembly line, and they go together quickly. Also, you need a big pan to fit the roll-ups - and the toothpicks.


6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup of bottled spaghetti sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment: toothpicks

Place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle each of the pieces of chicken with 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of fontina cheese. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

Warm the olive oil and smashed garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the garlic. Add the wine and deglaze for 2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the spaghetti sauce to the reduced wine in the pan, and stir to incorporate.

Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Remove the toothpicks. Place the chicken over the sauce and serve immediately.



--Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis