Parmesan-Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Eight pieces of chicken breast fillet, approximately 80 grams each
• 1.5 cups plain tomato sauce, see recipe below or store bought marinara sauce
• 0.5 tbsp. grated mozzarella cheese
• 16 tsp finely grated Parmesan cheese (40 g)
• 2 tbsp (30 g) butter, cut into pieces

Simple tomato sauce:

• 0.5 cups olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 chopped carrot
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Two cans of canned chopped tomatoes in their own juice (900 g each)
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 260°C.
2. Whisk the olive oil and herbs together in a small bowl until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the mixture over both sides of the meat. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the meat pieces and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
3. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken, including the area around it. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella cheese over each chicken piece, then sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese. Place a pat of butter on top. Bake until the cheese is melted and the chicken breasts are cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Simple tomato sauce:
   
   Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, and bay leaf and simmer over low heat for 1 hour or until thickened. Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning. If the sauce still tastes tart, add 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of butter to thicken the sauce.
5. Add half of the tomato sauce to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Repeat with the remaining tomato sauce.
6. If you don't use all the sauce, let it cool completely and pour 1-2 cups at a time into plastic freezer bags, then freeze them. This will keep the sauce for up to 6 months.