Gavin’s Italian Chicken

Cut the shallot in half, then peel and finely chop. Trim and peel the garlic clove, then finely chop.

Put the panko breadcrumbs into a bowl and stir in the herbs de Provence.

Heat half the rapeseed oil in a pan over a medium heat and sauté the shallot and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Season lightly with salt (optional).

Stir in the tomatoes and four of the basil leaves and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until reduced and thickened by half.

Blend to a puree with a hand blender (or mash with a potato masher if you have not got one).

Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.

On a clean chopping board, using a small sharp knife carefully cut each chicken fillet down the middle halfway through.

Then continue gently cutting the tops so that the fillets become butterflied out into larger pieces.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Season with chicken fillets lightly with salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the rest of the rapeseed oil to the pan and sauté the chicken fillets for a minute or two on each side until golden, turning with a tongs.

Set aside with the frying pan with the juices left in it.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumb mixture in an even layer, then cover the centre of each piece of chicken with two tablespoons each of the tomato sauce.

Place a slice of the Buffalo mozzarella in the centre of the sauce.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through.

Test with a small knife to ensure that the juices are running clear.

Meanwhile, plunge the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt (optional) and cook for 8-10 minutes or until just tender.

Drain in a colander, reserving half a cupful of the water and then return to the pan and fold in the rest of the tomato sauce with enough of the reserved cooking water to make a smooth sauce.

Return the frying pan to a medium heat and tip in the spinach.

Season lightly with salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper.

Sauté for a minute or two until just wilted.

Arrange the tomato spaghetti on plates and top each one with the chicken Parmesan, placing the wilted spinach alongside.

Tear over the rest of the basil to serve.