Lemon Tilapia Parmesan

My friend Jaida recently posted this recipe for Lemon Chicken Parmesan that looked so good I could almost taste it. We eat a lot of chicken, though, so I've been trying to replace some of our favorite chicken dishes with fish for some variety. I'm really into tilapia - it's so versatile and Baby Girl loves it, too. I figured it would be easy to swap out the chicken for tilapia in this recipe.

Since tilapia is so thin and quick-cooking, I didn't need to bake it. I just cooked the pasta, tossed it with the sauce and served the fish on top. Super simple and so delicious. I know you may think melted mozzarella and fish is a strange combo, but it was so good. The lemon sauce was so bright and flavorful, too. I may try this with chicken next time, just to see which protein we prefer.

Lemon Tilapia Parmesan
Modified from Sweet Beginnings

Pasta:
8 oz angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Fish:
4 tilapia filets
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the butter, lemon zest, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and water in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine the Panko, Parmesan, dried basil, salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a plastic food storage bag. Add the fish filets, seal the bag, and toss to coat the filets in the flour. Working with one piece at a time, dip a filet into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere the crumbs. Repeat with all the filets.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice and garlic. Add the fish filets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Distribute the mozzarella between the 4 filets and cover the pan briefly so the cheese melts. Remove to filets to a plate.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat, thinning the sauce with some of the pasta cooking water. Serve some pasta in a shallow bowl topped with a piece of fish per person.