Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, patted dry
• 1 garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
• 0.5 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Dice the yellow onion into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside.
4. Peel the garlic cloves and set aside; you should have approximately 10–12 cloves.
5. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
6. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, place the seasoned chicken breasts in the hot skillet and sear for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown; transfer to a 9x13 baking pan.
7. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the diced onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes until softened.
8. Add the peeled garlic cloves to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
9. Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet along with the dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes, stirring well to combine.
10. Simmer the tomato sauce for 3 minutes, then season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
11. Pour the tomato sauce and roasted garlic cloves evenly over the chicken breasts in the baking pan, ensuring the sauce covers the bottom and sides.
12. Cover the baking pan loosely with aluminum foil.
13. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.
14. While the chicken bakes, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1 tablespoon of butter in a small bowl until the texture resembles coarse sand.
15. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon 4 dollops of ricotta cheese (about 2 tablespoons each) evenly over the chicken and sauce.
16. Sprinkle the panko-Parmigiano mixture evenly over the ricotta dollops and the sauce.
17. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 12–15 minutes until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast reads 165°F (74°C).
18. Remove from the oven and let rest for 3 minutes.
19. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve directly from the baking pan or on individual plates with sauce and roasted garlic cloves.