I am giddy about this recipe. There is so much about it that I love. I love that it is easy to make, was loved and well received by my family, and is much more healthy than your typical Chicken Alfredo recipe.
Todd and I have been married for 2o years. During our newlywed days, I would make a Chicken Alfredo recipe that I liked to call a “heart attack on a plate.” I remember dishing it out onto our plates, and grease would just ooze out from the pile of pasta. It had a whole stick of butter and a ton of cream and cheese. I remember feeling so full, heavy and just ‘yuck’ after eating it, and I stopped making the recipe once we had children.
I recently stumbled upon this new recipe, a better-for-you version of the typical Chicken Alfredo. It comes from a cookbook called Chia, Quinoa & Kale Oh My! by Cassie Johnston. I immediately noticed it only had 1 tablespoon of butter, that it included a tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil, and used just a 1/2 cup of whole yogurt instead of cream.
I knew that I could get wonderful organic greek yogurt from Trader Joes, and grabbed some while I was there along with their shaved parmesan cheese. You can use grated part cheese for this recipe, but I often buy this shaved parm (see photo above) to top my lunch salads, so that is what I used.
I make my own organic rotisserie chicken most weeks, and always use the bones to make my own mineral-filled chicken bone broth. I had both shredded chicken and bone broth in jars in the freezer, ready to use for this recipe. Talk about an easy meal!
All of these healthful ingredients make for a very healthful chicken alfredo recipe. I had high hopes as I made it, and let me tell you…I was not disappointed.
It is hard to tell from these photos, as they were taken the following day when I heated the chicken alfredo up for my lunch, but this alfredo was so very creamy! We did not miss all the extra butter, cream and cheese that most alfredo recipes use, and we felt full and satisfied instead of sick and heavy after eating it.
It was very well received by my family and I was asked to put this recipe into our regular rotation. My answer? “You bet…no problem!”
The original recipe calls for kale. I kept it plain with hopes to really win my teens over with this recipe, but next time I will add the kale. The process is so simple, you simply put the leaves in the colander before draining the pasta, and they wilt and steam as they are tossed back into the pan with the hot pasta. The book mentions that kale is great in the dish because it “retains some of its “”chew”” and adds a really interesting texture to the pasta.” You can also use fresh spinach for beautiful color and a nutritional boost.
Give this great recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
30 Minute Creamy Chicken Alfredo
13 oz pasta (your choice–whole wheat, gluten-free, or regular. I like this protein pasta brand)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth (I use my own bone broth)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt (I use organic)
2 cups cooked chicken (can use a rotisserie chicken, I make my own)
Kale or spinach leaves, optional
Cook the pasta according to package directions. If using kale or spinach, place the leaves in a colander and drain the pasta over the leaves. Return both leaves and pasta to the cooking pot off the heat, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water. The steam from the pasta will continue to wilt the greens. Set aside.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, melt the butter and olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch or arrowroot. Add the mixture to the chicken broth, lower the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat, slide the pot over to a cool burner, and whisk in the 3/4 cup of shredded Parmesan until melted. Let rest 5 minutes, then whisk in the Greek yogurt (if you do it before it’s cooled down a little, the yogurt will turn grainy). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pout the sauce into the pot of pasta and greens and toss to coat, adding in some of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Plate and top with the chopped chicken and additional shredded Parmesan.
{443 Calories, 31 grams of Protein, 6 Servings}
{For Your Pinning Pleasure, Click Photo Above}
