This will definitely become one of your family's favorite dinner meals. The pasta, chicken and sauce can all be made in advance. When it's close to dinner time, throw it all together and bake for about 15 minutes.
Pasta:
1 T. kosher salt
1 lb. rigatoni
Breaded Chicken:
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
8-10 turns freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 large eggs
1 c. seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 c. panko bread crumbs
2 t. granulated garlic
1 t. onion powder
1 t. dried sage
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half horizontally and cut against the grain into 1 2-inch strips
1/4 lb. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1¼ cups)
1/4 lb. aged or regular Provolone cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
Saged Prosciutto Beurre Blanc:
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
16 sage leaves
1/4 lb. Prosciutto di Parma, cut crosswise into thick julienne
1 large shallot, minced
2 T. drained nonpareil capers
1/2 c. dry white wine
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon plus and grated
1 c. heavy cream
3 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t. kosher salt
5-6 turns freshly ground black pepper
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz. aged or regular Provolone cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
3 T. finely sliced basil
Pasta:
In a large pot over high heat, bring 1 gallon of salted water to a boil; add rigatoni; stir; cook pasta until al dente, 8 - 10 minutes. Reserve 1 c. of the pasta water; drain; cool; set aside.
Chicken:
Place flour in a shallow dish; season with 1 t. salt and 4 - 5 turns pepper. In a second shallow dish, beat eggs. In a food processor, pulse Italian bread crumbs and panko a few times to break down and combine. Transfer bread crumbs to a third shallow dish; stir in granulated garlic, onion powder, dried sage, remaining 1 t. salt, and 4 - 5 turns pepper. Get a rimmed baking sheet ready.
Lightly coat a chicken strip in the flour, then dip it into the egg mixture, then into the seasoned bread crumbs. Gently press the bread crumbs onto the chicken so they stick well and coat evenly. Set aside on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
In a deep, heavy sauté pan, pour olive oil to a depth of 1 inch; heat oil to 350 degrees over medium- high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Working in batches, fry breaded chicken strips until golden brown and crispy, turning one time, 2 - 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towels with a slotted spoon or tongs; set aside.
Beurre Blanc:
Place olive oil and sage leaves in a large sauté pan; set pan over medium-high heat; fry until crispy, 3 - 4 minutes when oil is hot. Remove sage leaves with a slotted spoon; set aside on a paper towel. To the same pan with the oil, add prosciutto; cook until crispy and fat has rendered, 4 - 5 minutes. Remove the prosciutto with a slotted spoon; set aside on paper towels. In the remaining olive oil and fat in the pan, cook shallot and capers until shallot is translucent, 2 - 3 minutes.
Remove pan from heat; cool for 1-2 minutes. Carefully add wine, lemon juice and zest, reserved pasta water, and cream, watching out for hot bubbles from the pan. Return pan to heat; bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture is reduced by two-thirds. Add parsley, salt, and pepper. Over low heat, whisk in cold butter, 1 - 2 cubes at a time, letting each cube melt into sauce before adding more; the sauce will emulsify. Add Parmesan and Provolone cheeses; whisk until melted. Coarsely chop half of the sage leaves and prosciutto; add to sauce along with half of the basil; stir well. Keep warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally to keep sauce emulsified.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Assembly of the chicken rigatoni saltimbocca:
Add rigatoni to the beurre blanc; toss together. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish; place chicken on top of the pasta. Top with the grated Parmesan and Provolone cheeses; bake 12 - 15 minutes to warm through and melt the cheeses.
Garnish with the remaining crispy sage and prosciutto. Serve.
4-6 servings