A hearty, Healthy Chicken Alfredo Pasta, complete with a delicious creamy sauce. Try this healthy take on the classic dish for dinner tonight!
Healthy Chicken Alfredo Pasta
This healthy recipe is a great alternative to a classic pasta comfort food. The whole family is going to love the creamy, tasty homemade alfredo sauce and the satisfying chicken and pasta.
With far less calories than a traditional chicken alfredo, it is a great way to continue to hit your health and fitness goals. You can skip Olive Garden and stay in tonight with this quick, easy, delicious pasta.
Healthy chicken alfredo pasta ingredients
Prepare to make your homemade alfredo sauce and pasta with these ingredients:
Pasta Ingredients:
- chickpea pasta
- chicken tenderloins
- olive oil
- garlic
- salt
- pepper
Sauce Ingredients:
- skim milk
- 4% milk fat cottage cheese
- parmesan cheese
- butter
- garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- Topping: fresh parsley or basil, chopped
How to make healthy chicken alfredo pasta
Make this delicious pasta with creamy alfredo sauce by following these simple instructions:
- Cook pasta according to box instructions. Strain & set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil.
- Add garlic and chicken. Let chicken cook completely, about 10 mins or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Drain excess grease. Add salt and pepper to chicken.
- To make the healthy alfredo sauce recipe, in a blender, add cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, milk, butter, garlic, salt & pepper. Process until smooth and sauce consistency. This should take 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet over the chicken with the cooked pasta. Cook on medium heat until sauce is warm.
- Add pasta and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan.
- Enjoy!
Healthy chicken alfredo pasta substitution ideas
Here are some suggested substitutions for this delicious pasta recipe:
- Pasta: I use Banza chickpea pasta but an edamame, lentil, zucchini noodles, or regular pasta (like fettuccine noodles) would also work!
- Chicken: I use chicken tenderloins, but a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or chicken breast would work jut fine in this recipe.
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk for this recipe.
- Cottage Cheese: Instead of cottage cheese, try Greek yogurt!
- Parmesean: If you're making this recipe vegan, try this great vegan grated Parmesean cheese from Whole Foods.
How long does healthy chicken alfredo pasta last in the fridge?
This chicken alfredo pasta is so tasty right when it is done! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge and store for 4-5 days.
You can reheat this pasta in the microwave or oven.
- For the microwave: Cook 2-3 minutes.
- For the oven: Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
How to meal prep this recipe
The best part of this recipe is how easy it is to meal prep. Make this weeknight dinner according to instructions. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Split into 5 containers (one serving each) or store in a big container and serve as needed.
What goes well with healthy chicken alfredo pasta
This easy chicken dinner would taste amazing with a simple side dish of fresh vegetables. Something like green beans, broccoli, asparagus, or a side salad would complement the rich flavor of the pasta while adding some vitamins and extra nutrition to the meal.
Something else to consider would be a piece of crusty bread. It would be the perfect vessel to scoop up that delicious homemade alfredo sauce at the bottom of your dish!
Is chicken alfredo healthy for a diet?
This is definitely a healthy take on a classic pasta dish. There is less fat, less sodium, and fewer calories in this dish compared to the real thing. However, "healthy" is a relative term and will look different for each unique person and their different goals.
The chicken in this dish will supply your body with protein, which helps your muscles grow and your body maintain itself. The chickpea pasta in this specific recipe also adds extra protein to the dish.
How many calories in a bowl of alfredo chicken pasta?
This recipe has a fraction of the calories of a regular bowl of chicken alfredo. This healthy chicken alfredo recipe only has 412 calories per serving, compared to the 600-800 calories in a typical serving of the regular dish. See below for the full nutrition facts on the recipe card.
Other delicious pasta ideas
Try these other tasty pasta dishes:
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
- Healthy Tuscan Chicken Salad
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Healthy Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Blender
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
Pasta Ingredients:
- 1 box chickpea pasta, uncooked (8 oz)
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins, raw & chopped into 1-inch pieces (16 oz)
- 1.5 teaspoon olive oil (7 grams)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (5 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup skim milk (135 grams)
- 2 cups 4% milk fat cottage cheese (440 grams)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (30 grams)
- 2 tablespoon butter (28 grams)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled (5 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Topping: parsley or basil, chopped
Instructions
- Start by cooking pasta according to box instructions. Strain & set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil.
- Add garlic and chicken. Let chicken cook completely, about 10 mins or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Drain excess grease. Add salt and pepper to chicken.
- In a blender, add cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, milk, butter, garlic, salt & pepper. Process until smooth and sauce consistency.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet over the chicken with the pasta. Cook on low heat until sauce is warm.
- Add pasta and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Recipe makes 5 servings
- 1 serving is 304 grams
- Nutrition per serving: 412 calories | 43 grams protein | 33 grams carbs | 14 grams fat | 5 grams fiber
- I use Banza chickpea pasta but an edamame, lentil, or regular pasta would also work!
- You can use any kind of milk
- This recipe is gluten-free
- To make vegetarian: Use tempeh, tofu, or favorite plant-based meat alternative
- To meal prep: Make according to instructions. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Split into 5 containers (one serving each) or store in a big container and serve as needed.
Natalie says
This tasted really good and I enjoyed the high protein content. I followed the recipe exactly but I do feel that either it needs more pasta and chicken or less cottage cheese. When I added the "sauce" to the pan the consistency thinned (which was to be expected) but then got a bit "frothy". Once again the taste was great and I would make it again with a few tweaks to the amounts. It was a great weeknight recipe that came together easily.
Jordan Smith says
Hey Natalie, I'm glad to hear you'd make again! Thanks for sharing your recipe tweaks as well — it's great to hear how you would tweak the recipe to work better for you. Have a great week!
William Saliba says
Very top, good sensation!