For the Marinara:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Reduce heat to low and add onion and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent and softened.
2. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, parsley, red pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. If you’d like a thicker sauce, keep simmering. Otherwise, season with salt and pepper. For a smooth marinara sauce, transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

For the Chicken Parmesan:

1. Prepare the cutlets: Butterfly or slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise, to create 4 chicken cutlets of equal thickness. Place between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the cutlets to 1/3” thick.
2. Prepare the breading stations: In a shallow bowl (cake pans or pie plates work great!), combine crushed cornflakes, garlic powder, and 1 cup Parmesan. In a second shallow bowl, add the gluten free flour. In a third shallow bowl, beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.
3. Bread the chicken: Pat the chicken cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. Dip each side into flour, being careful to cover the entire cutlet. Gently shake off any excess flour. Then dip into egg, letting excess egg drip back into the dish. Finally, dredge with cornflake mixture, gently pressing to adhere as much as possible to the cutlet. Repeat until all cutlets are breaded.
4. Fry the cutlets: Preheat oven to either bake (400 degrees F) or broil the chicken parmesan after frying. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot or deep-sided cast iron skillet over medium heat until a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer registers 350 degrees F. If it smokes a bit, that’s okay — just try to keep it at a constant temperature. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
5. Working one at a time, fry chicken cutlets for about 2 minutes, until the side facing down is golden brown. Flip and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes more, until golden brown on the other side. If the sound of the frying chicken intensifies, that’s good! This is the moisture evaporating from the chicken. Transfer to the prepared wire rack to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining chicken.
6. In a small bowl, mix mozzarella with remaining 1 cup Parmesan.
7. Bake the chicken parmesan: Ladle 1 cup of marinara sauce into a 9x13 casserole dish. Transfer finished chicken to the dish, arranging in a single layer. Top each chicken cutlet down the center with remaining marinara sauce, then cover with mozzarella mixture. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
8. Alternatively, broil the chicken parmesan: Keep chicken parmesan on the wire rack over a baking sheet. Spoon some marinara over the cutlets, then sprinkle with cheese mixture. Broil about about 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and brown spots are beginning to form.
9. Divide the chicken cutlets among plates. Top with fresh basil and serve with remaining marinara sauce.