This Crusted Chicken Romano and Tomato Butter Pasta is my copycat version of The Cheesecake Factory classic and it’s absolutely delicious! The chicken breast is breaded and fried to crispy perfection! Paired with my Tomato Butter Pasta recipe, they are a match made in heaven!

At The Cheesecake Factory, this dish is often served with spaghetti and a light marinara sauce, but I love pairing it with my Tomato Butter Pasta, which adds a simple and flavorful complement to the crispy chicken. The tomato butter pasta is a light pasta dish that balances out the richer flavors of the Romano Romano-crusted chicken. You won’t be disappointed in this Crusted Chicken Romano Recipe, a Classic Cheesecake Factory Copycat!

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Gather The Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients in these two recipes but they are simple and this recipe is easy to make. Before I start cooking, I like to gather all the ingredients for both dishes and set them up in a way that I can work fast prepping everything. Having everything prepped first will help so much once you start cooking everything. Getting the timing down to have everything finished around the same time is a bit of an art but you can make it smoother and set yourself up for success by getting everything prepped and ready to go so that when it’s time to cook, it’s seamless.

Using the Right Equipment:

One of the secrets of success to becoming a good cook is using the right equipment. The pans, knives, and cooking tools make all the difference. I recommend using high-quality stainless steel cookware for the best results. I recently discovered this incredible cookware set from Fissler and I am a huge fan!

Here’s the link and info on this amazing Fissler Cookware! I am a huge fan!!

How to Make Crusted Chicken Romano:

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Crusted Chicken Romano

This Crusted Chicken Romano is my version of the Cheesecake Factory recipe and it's absolutely delicious! The chicken breast is breaded and fried to crispy perfection, making it a fantastic option for weeknight dinners as it takes less than 30 minutes to make.

At The Cheesecake Factory, this dish is often served with spaghetti and a light marinara sauce, but I love pairing it with my Tomato Butter Pasta, which adds a rich and flavorful complement to the crispy chicken. Pair these two together and you have a delicious meal that everyone will love!

Course dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken recipes, crusted chicken romano, italian food, italian recipes, pasta, pasta dish, pasta recipe, romano cheese, tomato butter pasta

Prep Time 21 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breasts Cut in half lengthwise
• ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 large Eggs
• ¾ cup Fine Panko Bread Crumbs
• ¾ cup Shredded Romano Cheese
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black Pepper
• ½ cup Olive Oil for Frying
• ½ cube Butter for Frying

Instructions

• Prepare the Chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create thin cutlets. Place the chicken between plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a kitchen mallet. Pat dry and set aside.
  4 Chicken Breasts
• Set Up Dredging Station: In two separate bowls, prepare the following:

  Bowl 1: Flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, panko breadcrumbs and romano cheese.

  Bowl 2: Beaten eggs.

  Mix the dry ingredients and then dip the chicken in the egg wash and then dredge in the flour, breadcrumbs, and romano cheese mixture.
  ¾ cup All Purpose Flour, 2 large Eggs, ¾ cup Fine Panko Bread Crumbs, ¾ cup Shredded Romano Cheese, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Salt, ½ tsp Black Pepper, 2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
• Fry the Chicken: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry each chicken cutlet for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. You may have to turn the heat down to med-low or low to cook the chicken longer so it isn't pink inside and to not burn the chicken. The romano cheese can burn so make sure to turn the heat down if your cheese is burning and cook a little slower. I use a thermometer to check the chicken's temperature. To be safe chicken must be cooked to 165℉ or 74℃. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
  ½ cup Olive Oil for Frying, ½ cube Butter for Frying

Notes

I get all the chicken recipe prep done and then I start the water for the pasta and then get the tomato butter pasta ingredients ready to start cooking. Once everything is ready to go, I time the pasta cooking with the tomato butter sauce and fry the chicken. You want everything to get done around the same time. It’s a little tricky if you’re not used to cooking three things at once but I promise it’s okay if it’s not timed perfectly. 

It takes about 15 minutes for the tomato butter sauce to cook which is about how long it takes for the spaghetti to cook. You will also be frying the chicken while the other two are cooking. Just stir the sauce every so often and check the pasta to make sure it doesn’t get overdone. You will want to add the pasta straight from the pot it’s cooking in directly into the tomato butter sauce pan. Do not drain the pasta. The starchiness of the pasta and pasta water will help thicken up the sauce and make the sauce stick to it better. I usually use about a half of cup or ladle full of the pasta water once I’ve added in the parmesean and basil. I let it simmer over low heat and toss the pasta in the sauce. It will continue to thicken up as you toss it around and the cheese melts into the sauce.

Make sure to watch this video reel on my Instagram to see how I do all of this! It’s way easier to do this than it sounds! I promise! It’s linked toward the bottom of the post!

How to Make Tomato Butter Pasta:

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Tomato Butter Pasta

This Tomato Butter Pasta is so good as a side dish or meal all in itself but its extra good paired with my Crusted Chicken Romano. I love making these together and they are my copycat version of the Crusted Chicken Romano dish from the Cheesecake Factory and the red sauce pasta that is paired with it. This tomato butter pasta dish is super simple and light and is packed with flavor but not overly rich! Try this pasta dish all on it's own or make it with the Crusted Chicken Romano!

Course dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword easy pasta recipes, pasta, pasta dish, pasta recipe, simple pasta recipe, tomato butter pasta, tomato recipe

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz Spaghetti or Angel Hair Pasta
• 3 tbsp Salt for Pasta Water
• 6 tbsp Butter
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 7-8 large San Marzano or Romano Tomatoes, Grated
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Seasoning Salt I use Alpine Seasoning or Johnny's Seasoning
• ¼ cup Fresh Basil- Chopped finely
• ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup Pasta Water

Instructions

• Cook the Pasta: Boil the spaghetti in salted water according to package instructions. I add about 3 TBSP of Sea Salt. Always salt your pasta water!!
• **Prepare the Sauce: **Grate the san marzano or roma tomatoes with a cheese grater into a bowl. This will remove the skins and leave the inside flesh and juice of the tomato.
• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Do not burn the garlic!
• Add Tomatoes: Stir in the grated tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and seasoning salt. Simmer for 15 minutes while the pasta and chicken are cooking, stirring occasionally.
• Finish the Sauce: Add in the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the pan with the tomatoes (do not drain) and then add in 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1/2 cup of pasta water and the remaining tbsp of butter and the chopped fresh basil. Toss the pasta to mix everything together until well mixed over low heat. The sauce will thicken as you toss it around and the pasta water you added will also help thicken the sauce.
• Serve the Tomato Butter Pasta all by itself or pair it with the Crusted Chicken Romano (recipe above) and enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions and Variations:

• Breadcrumbs: Substitute Italian-style breadcrumbs if you don’t have panko.
• Cheese: If you prefer, use all Parmesan instead of mixing with Pecorino Romano.
• Oil Choices: Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil work best for frying but I prefer to use olive oil or avocado and butter since seed oils are not as healthy.
• Lighter Option: Bake the breaded chicken at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.

Final Thoughts:

This Crusted Chicken Romano paired with Tomato Butter Pasta is a restaurant-quality meal you can easily make at home. It’s rich, cheesy, and full of flavor—perfect for a special dinner or an easy weeknight meal. Try it and let me know what you think!

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