Chicken Parmesan featuring Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta

by Tara Ziegmont

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

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Several times over the last few years, Joe and I have tried to switch to whole grain pasta.

chicken parmesan There are so many reasons to switch. Whole grains are healthier in general. The USDA’s MyPlate guidelines recommend making at least half of your grains whole grains. Whole grains contain more fiber than processed grains, and there is some evidence they can improve cardiovascular health.

Unfortunately, our switch to whole grain pasta has not, to this point, gone very well.

The whole wheat pasta we’ve tried has always been strange. Its texture has been off, sometimes excessively chewy or gritty. We’ve tried several brands and many varieties. We want to eat better. We want to like whole grain pasta; we haven’t. We always switch quickly back to regular white pasta.

We like Barilla® PLUS; we have eaten it for a few years. It’s not a whole grain product, but Pasta Plus is more nutritious than plain white pasta.

A couple of weeks ago, BlogHer offered me the opportunity to participate in a review campaign for Barilla® Whole Grain pasta. I agreed, hoping for good results.

We were tempted to try a brand new recipe from the Dinner Kit at TryBarillaWholeGrain.com, but instead used our Barilla® Whole Grain pasta in an old favorite – Chicken Parmesan. Joe and I wanted to see exactly how the pasta would compare with the white stuff we’re used to in a familiar recipe.

More about our results after the recipe.

4.4 from 9 reviews

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Chicken Parmesan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1-2 large chicken breasts
1 cup bread crumbs (or so)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of Barilla® Whole Grain Spaghetti
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Prepare Barilla® Whole Grain Spaghetti according to the package directions.
Heat spaghetti sauce in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
Slice the chicken breast horizontally to make several thin chicken cutlets.
Place breadcrumbs in a pie plate or other flat-bottomed container. Flop the chicken around in the breadcrumbs, until it is well-coated.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken, keeping it in a single layer. After 2-3 minutes (once the chicken looks done – Joe says you’ll know what that means), flip each chicken cutlet to brown the second side.
Remove the chicken to a paper towel-covered plate to remove any excess oil. When all of the chicken is cooked, you’re ready to prepare the chicken Parmesan.
To serve, place one chicken cutlet and some spaghetti on a plate. Spoon spaghetti sauce over both the chicken cutlet and the pasta. Sprinkle ¼ cup mozzarella cheese over the chicken cutlet. If the chicken and spaghetti sauce don’t melt the cheese to your satisfaction, zap it in the microwave for a 15-20 seconds.

Notes

Joe sautéed 1 pound of mushrooms and 2 sliced onions to top our spaghetti. It’s simple. Just heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until both are tender.

Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta

The first thing I noticed about the whole grain pasta is that it’s a little darker than regular white pasta. Aside from that, we wouldn’t have known it was any different.

Barilla® Whole Grain tastes great. There’s no bitterness at all, and the texture is perfect.

Like our homemade whole wheat pizza dough and whole wheat bread, Barilla® Whole Grain pasta uses 51% whole wheat flour. That proportion preserves the taste and texture of normal white pasta and still provides the benefits of whole grains.

There’s even a taste guarantee! If you don’t like the Barilla® Whole Grain pasta, let them know, and they will give you a free box of your favorite Barilla® pasta.

What do you have to lose?

Win a $100 Amazon.com gift card!

BlogHer and Barilla® are providing me with a $100 Amazon.com gift card to give away to one lucky Feels Like Home reader.

To enter, answer this question:

What do you love about Barilla® Whole Grain?

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet about this promotion @BarillaUS with the following unique term in your message, #BarillaWG, and link to your Tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to your post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

No duplicate comments. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winner will have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/30/12.

Be sure to visit the Barilla® Whole Grain round-up page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers® reviews and find more chances to win!

I was compensated to write a recipe using Barilla® Whole Grain pasta. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: chicken, italian, main dishes, pasta

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{ 111 comments }

1 Mami2jcn February 21, 2012 at 1:04 pm: I love the GREAT TASTE of Barilla Whole Grain!
2 Mami2jcn February 21, 2012 at 1:05 pm: tweet–https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/172018763103879168
3 Amanda Sakovitz February 21, 2012 at 1:53 pm: i love that it tastes good but is healthy for you
4 Amanda Sakovitz February 21, 2012 at 1:53 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/172031055363178498
5 Elena February 21, 2012 at 2:02 pm: I love that it’s tasty and healthy
6 Elena February 21, 2012 at 2:05 pm: tweet-https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/172034079154380800
7 courtney b February 21, 2012 at 2:28 pm: we love how it’s healthy but doesn’t TASTE healthy
8 courtney b February 21, 2012 at 2:29 pm: tweet

https://twitter.com/#!/MeandBells/status/172039922704842753
9 amy pugmire February 21, 2012 at 5:38 pm: i love that its all natural and a good source of fiber.
10 amy pugmire February 21, 2012 at 5:39 pm: tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/1amypugmire/status/172087933753507841
11 Julie N February 21, 2012 at 6:42 pm: Love the texture!
12 Jeanette February 21, 2012 at 8:41 pm: Love how easy and healthy this recipe is. I really like how kid-friendly Barilla’s Whole Grain Pasta is – I make it for my kids a lot and find it especially good with tomato based sauces, pestos and in stir-fries.
Jeanette´s most recent post…Recipe for Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken, Shitake Mushrooms and Chinese Vegetables ($100 Amazon Card Giveaway)
13 Kala February 21, 2012 at 9:14 pm: I love that you can’t tell the difference between regular pasta!
14 Lauren February 22, 2012 at 8:32 am: I love being able to serve my family whole grains without them knowing!!!
15 Vickie Couturier February 22, 2012 at 11:34 am: What do you love about Barilla® Whole Grain?
anything whole grain is a hit with us,we are trying to get more healthy

vlbelk(at)Hotmail.com
16 Lisa February 22, 2012 at 12:30 pm: I love Barilla Whole Grain Pasta, and have been using it for a year or more now! I think it takes great and is healthier for my family!
17 Karina Lee February 22, 2012 at 1:50 pm: tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/karinaroselee/status/172392693064929280
18 Karina Lee February 22, 2012 at 1:50 pm: i love that something so healthy can taste great too
19 Christienne February 22, 2012 at 4:51 pm: I love Barilla pasta but have never tried the whole grain, I will !
20 Heather February 22, 2012 at 9:42 pm: Love Barilla pasta and switched to whole grain over a year ago. My family couldn’t much tell the difference but I sure feel better serving it to them!
21 Heather February 22, 2012 at 9:46 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/joyfulchallenge/status/172512269018742785
Heather´s most recent post…Veggie Love
22 Amy Tong February 23, 2012 at 5:00 am: Oh yeah, I definitely love how healthy Barilla Whole Grain pasta is. That’s the reason why I made the switch!
Amy Tong´s most recent post…Spinach Pesto Spaghetti with Grilled Shrimps using Barilla Whole Grain Pasta and a $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
23 Bev Edge February 23, 2012 at 8:17 am: I love that Barilla’s Whole Grain pasta has the same texture as regular pasta. I also love that it is more healthy for my family!
24 Vickie Couturier February 23, 2012 at 11:49 am: tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/vickiecouturier/status/172724676190142464
vlbelk(at)Hotmail.com
25 Kelly Massman February 23, 2012 at 6:56 pm: I love that I can eat one of my favorite foods without having to feel guilty about it!!!!
thanks for a chance to win!
And, have a GREAT day!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
26 Debbie Gilbert February 24, 2012 at 1:18 pm: I love the new Barilla whole grain too, however. it is my picky kids that do not like the change!
27 Debbie Gilbert February 24, 2012 at 1:22 pm: I also read the official rule. Thanks so much for the giveaway!
28 Mary February 25, 2012 at 11:18 am: All the fiber it has.

marybug2 @ yahoo . com
29 Mary February 25, 2012 at 11:19 am: Tweeted

https://twitter.com/#!/marybug2/status/173441781734715394

marybug2 @ yahoo . com
30 cw February 25, 2012 at 12:10 pm: I love that it has 3 time the amount of fiber of other pastas and made with whole wheat and you can’t tell the difference in taste
31 steff February 25, 2012 at 12:42 pm: I love that it has more fiber!
steff´s most recent post…Enter to Win a BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook Giveaway!
32 steff February 25, 2012 at 12:45 pm: oops didnt realize i needed the hash tag here is the revised tweet! https://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/173463528504700928
steff´s most recent post…Enter to Win a BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook Giveaway!
33 Bhav February 25, 2012 at 4:27 pm: I love that it doesn’t taste “healthy” especially to the kids!

bvbabybv at gmail dot com
34 Bhav February 25, 2012 at 4:27 pm: Tweet:
https://twitter.com/#!/bvbabybv/status/173519574334062593
35 Janice Cooper February 25, 2012 at 4:33 pm: I like that it has lots of fiber and all natural, plus tasty!
36 Janice Cooper February 25, 2012 at 5:19 pm: Correct tweet. thx
https://twitter.com/#!/disneyfan40/status/173532370794844162
37 Debbie B February 26, 2012 at 11:02 pm: i like that its an excellent source of fiber and it tastes great too!
38 Debbie B February 26, 2012 at 11:06 pm: corrected tweet with hashtag : https://twitter.com/#!/bellows22/status/173981937499783168
39 Jessie C. February 27, 2012 at 7:09 pm: I like it’s whole grain and also taste great. Kids love it as well.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
40 Jessie C. February 27, 2012 at 7:09 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/174284889573691393
41 Melanie February 28, 2012 at 4:45 pm: I love all the awesome fiber!
42 Valerie C. February 29, 2012 at 2:47 pm: I love that I can feed my two children a healthier food without them complaining. It’s perfect
43 Valerie C. February 29, 2012 at 2:52 pm: tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/dragonfly777/status/174944972271915008
44 marci h March 1, 2012 at 6:45 pm: i love the taste and it fills you up–great meal for the family
45 Kelly D March 2, 2012 at 8:22 am: I love Barilla Whole Grain because I can enjoy pasta without going off my diet, and it is delicious.
46 Kelly D March 2, 2012 at 8:24 am: tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/kellydsaver/status/175572115192418306
47 kjasus March 2, 2012 at 10:36 am: i love that it is more nutritious than plain white pasta
kjasus´s most recent post…the lorax / fandango giveaway!
48 kjasus March 2, 2012 at 10:37 am: https://twitter.com/#!/raggammuffin/status/175605663643353088
kjasus´s most recent post…the lorax / fandango giveaway!
49 Susan Schaller March 5, 2012 at 4:01 pm: Well we all really need that extra fiber and the whole wheat has 3X the amount of fiber. You can not really tell the difference.
50 anna pry March 5, 2012 at 5:36 pm: i love knowing im eating a healthier pasta
thepryfamily@gmail.com
51 anna pry March 5, 2012 at 5:37 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/thepryfamily/status/176798460048191488
thepryfamily@gmail.com
52 Meryl March 6, 2012 at 6:50 pm: I love the taste and texture.
53 Louis March 6, 2012 at 6:51 pm: I like that it tastes great and is healthy.
54 Sunshyn V March 6, 2012 at 9:07 pm: I love that its healthier but has the same texture and great taste
55 Sunshyn V March 6, 2012 at 9:12 pm: I tweeted this
https://twitter.com/#!/The_Sunshyn/status/177214743138934784
56 Susan Smith March 7, 2012 at 9:08 pm: I love that it’s high in fiber and tastes great.
57 Susan Smith March 7, 2012 at 9:08 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/177576234623053824
58 sandra March 8, 2012 at 9:21 am: i like that it still tastes good
59 Wendy T March 8, 2012 at 5:21 pm: I love that Barilla Whole Grain pasta is available at so many stores and I know what I’m getting.

Thank you.

won2xx at gmail dot com
60 Wendy T March 8, 2012 at 5:36 pm: http://twitter.com/#!/won2x/status/177885474596204544
Wendy T´s most recent post…You Were. You Are: An Ode To My Daughter in Heaven On Her Birthday
61 MelissaO March 8, 2012 at 9:16 pm: I love all the extra fiber…I typically use it for filling vegetarian lunches to take to work.

wolverina401 at gmail dot com
62 Dahbou March 9, 2012 at 6:40 am: Tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/didyouyarnthat/status/178082754045554689
63 Dahbou March 9, 2012 at 6:41 am: I love the fact that it delivers three times the fiber of regular pasta and still tastes delicious!
64 Devona Fryer March 9, 2012 at 5:12 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/praisetruth/status/178241669328670720
65 Devona Fryer March 9, 2012 at 5:12 pm: I love how healthy it is. It’s a great way to add whole grains to our diet. I love your recipe also.
66 Debra F March 10, 2012 at 4:53 pm: I have to admit that I prefer white pasta, but we’ve made the switch and I love that Barilla is a really great source of fiber for our family’s diet….especially for my sons who eat a lot of the wrong foods when left to their own devices.
67 Michelle March 12, 2012 at 4:28 am: I love that it is easy find in most stores and it is tasty.
Michelle´s most recent post…Nashville Hot Chicken Review: Pepperfire Spiced Chicken
68 meredith March 13, 2012 at 6:58 am: i love the health benefits- and it tastes good too!
69 meredith March 13, 2012 at 6:59 am: https://twitter.com/#!/mermont84/status/179521648062513152
70 Tina M March 13, 2012 at 10:49 am: I love the taste
71 Tina M March 13, 2012 at 10:50 am: https://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/179580015908888576
72 ZW March 14, 2012 at 11:01 am: We love that it has extra fiber and tastes great!
73 JessieLeigh March 14, 2012 at 7:09 pm: I love that it has a superior texture to most whole wheat pastas that I’ve tried! Thanks!
74 Erica Best March 17, 2012 at 2:12 am: I like it’s whole grain and also taste great plus is all natural
purple_lover_04 at msn dot com
75 Erica Best March 17, 2012 at 2:13 am: https://twitter.com/#!/purplelover04/status/180898067829100544
76 Christina Tong March 17, 2012 at 5:14 am: I love Barilla’s Whole Grain Pasta because it provides more fiber, it is nutritious and delicious. I have been buying the Barilla’s regular pasta for many years and switched to this whole grain once I tried and love it’s texture.

ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
77 Christina Tong March 17, 2012 at 5:17 am: I tweeted about this giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/ctong2/status/180945531449774081

ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
78 Leann Lindeman March 18, 2012 at 9:19 pm: Pasta that is good for you AND tastes good! Ya can’t go wrong! I won some of this pasta and have gone thru most of it1 Yummy!
79 Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) March 18, 2012 at 9:50 pm: You had me at “the texture is perfect!”

It’s all about texture with me and whole grain pastas!
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean)´s most recent post…Quick (But Awesome!) Parmesan Bread
80 Jessica F March 20, 2012 at 12:33 am: I love that Barilla Whole Grain has way more fiber than regular pasta!
81 Jessica F March 20, 2012 at 12:34 am: tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/jfong1130/status/181961530798129152
82 sy March 23, 2012 at 3:30 pm: I love the fact it’s whole grain and their variety of noodles. Thanks for the review and giveaway.
songyueyu at gmail
83 sy March 23, 2012 at 3:32 pm: tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/syytta/status/183274444893069312
songyueyu at gmail
84 Jammie March 24, 2012 at 2:38 pm: We love that they are healthier and the flavor of them. sweepmorey at gmail dot com
85 Jammie March 24, 2012 at 2:39 pm: tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/mommysdizzy/status/183623920329560065
86 Kerry March 24, 2012 at 10:08 pm: I love that it’s healthy and still tastes great!
87 Kerry March 24, 2012 at 10:09 pm: tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/KerryBishop/status/183737197332144129
88 linda brooks March 25, 2012 at 10:37 am: I love Barilla Whole Grain because of the taste, Im not a big pasta eater, but this is so good.
89 linda brooks March 25, 2012 at 10:40 am: I tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/lindabr1001/status/183926062818934784
90 Gina M Maddox March 25, 2012 at 1:30 pm: I love that Barilla Whole Grain is all natural and is a great source of fiber. Thanks for the chance to win!
gina.m.maddox (AT) gmail (DOT) com
91 Gina M Maddox March 25, 2012 at 1:30 pm: tweet-https://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/183969054799831040

gina.m.maddox (AT) gmail (DOT) com
92 Julie March 26, 2012 at 2:07 pm: We already use this pasta-love the flavor thanks
93 Maria Cantu March 27, 2012 at 2:10 am: I love the taste.
94 angie lilly March 27, 2012 at 10:45 am: I love that its a very well known name brand offering whole grains to the masses. I am a huge proponent of eating whole foods, especially whole grains and have noticed that lots of people have a negative opinion of “health foods.” With the Barilla name comes a guarantee that its going to taste great and hopefully that will get more people to try it and see that eating healthy tastes great!
angie lilly´s most recent post…frosty black berry by FotoMacro
95 angie lilly March 27, 2012 at 10:45 am: I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/#!/MsTofuFairy/status/184652183453704193
angie lilly´s most recent post…frosty black berry by FotoMacro
96 Carmen March 28, 2012 at 10:12 pm: I love that Barilla Whole Grain doesn’t taste like it’s that healthy
97 Carmen March 28, 2012 at 10:13 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/cmouse01/status/185187728227434496
98 ewhatley March 29, 2012 at 5:43 pm: I use Barilla but haven’t tried the whole grain yet. Guess it’s time to get on that train.
99 ANGEL JACKLYN March 29, 2012 at 7:22 pm: IT’S SO MUCH MORE FILLING THAN REGULAR PASTA! MUST BE THE FIBER!
100 ANGEL JACKLYN March 29, 2012 at 7:23 pm: 2ND ENTRY TWEET https://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/185507118407892992
101 LAMusing March 30, 2012 at 12:04 am: I haven’t tried it yet, but I like Barilla products
102 Norma March 30, 2012 at 12:05 am: I love that it’s healthier but still tasty!
103 LAMusing March 30, 2012 at 12:07 am: https://twitter.com/#!/LAMusing/status/185578660982566912
104 Betty C March 30, 2012 at 11:19 am: I love that it retains the same taste and texture that I’ve always loved.
105 Betty C March 30, 2012 at 11:22 am: Tweet – https://twitter.com/#!/willitara/status/185748790563700736
106 Sarah L March 30, 2012 at 4:37 pm: I like that it tastes good.
Thanks for the contest.
107 Sarah L March 30, 2012 at 4:38 pm: Blogged:
http://slehan.blogspot.com/2012/03/win-100-amazon-gc-from-barilla-blogher.html
108 Mari March 30, 2012 at 6:20 pm: I like that it contains three times more fiber than regular pasta.

runningmatey at hotmail dot com
109 Mari March 30, 2012 at 6:21 pm: https://twitter.com/#!/LuckyDuckyToo/status/185853893652119552
110 Anne K. March 30, 2012 at 9:33 pm: I have 3 boxes of Barilla Whole grain in my cabinet right now (which means I have to stock up, we go through 2-3 boxes a week). It is my favorite pasta because it tastes great and is good for you too! Win / win!
111 Anne K. March 30, 2012 at 9:36 pm: my tweet!

https://twitter.com/#!/mrs_puddle/status/185903181329469441