Fact: I ♡ pasta.
And when I say pasta, I mean the creamy, cheesy kind – AKA – the kind that you feel a little guilty eating, but not really, because it’s so so good. Give me a way to make this kind of pasta a little healthier and I’m alllll over it.
For a few years now, I’ve been sharing some of my recipes with Skinny Mom, a healthy-living website started by the very sweet Brooke Griffin. This recipe comes from Brooke’s first book, Skinny Suppers, which is LOADED with lightened-up dinner recipes for healthier twists on classic comfort food. The pages are filled with colorful photography of absolutely amazing-looking dishes, and I knew as soon as I flipped through the book there’d be tons of recipes I wanted to try. But as Greg said when I was choosing the first recipe: “You’re looking through the pasta section, huh?” Either he knows me too well or I’m way too predictable.
I was actually eyeing the mac n cheese (surprise, surprise), but when you have a boyfriend agreeing to help you cook who thinks no meal is complete without some form of meat, you end up cooking chicken pasta instead. And I have to admit, I was a little bit skeptical about his choice of recipe at first, but oh. my. goshhhhh it was good. We tweaked it around a bit to add some spiciness and extra flavor (with onion, tomatoes, serrano peppers, and parsley), plus made a few little switches to keep it gluten-free, and BAM – best chicken pasta primavera ever. It absolutely works as a one-dish meal, and the leftovers are the kind of thing that make you dream about getting home to your fridge every day to eat more.
And guess what? Because you guys need to make this pasta AND everything else in the Skinny Suppers book, we’re giving away 3 copies – right here, right now. To enter, check out the Rafflecopter box below. There are 15 possible entries per person, and three winners will be chosen once the giveaway ends on Wednesday, May 18th at midnight.
UPDATE: Apologies to anyone who attempted to enter the giveaway the first two days; there was a website error preventing readers from leaving comments. This has been fixed and the giveaway period has been extended through the 18th to make up for it!
Lightened-Up Chicken Pasta Primavera {GF}
A few simple ingredient swaps making this colorful Chicken Pasta Primavera healthier than its counterparts and still every bit as flavorful, loaded with veggies and a spicy kick of pepper.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs diced chicken breast
- 3 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for pasta water
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus extra for seasoning sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided, plus extra for seasoning sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 12 ounces gluten-free angel hair or spaghetti pasta*
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped and cooked
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 serrano peppers, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 (8 oz) container baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
- 4 sprigs parsley, minced, plus extra for garnish
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (I like Pamela’s)*
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk**
- 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese**
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Toss chicken breast with 1 teaspoon olive oil, granulated onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté just until cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate or bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with a dash of olive oil over high heat.
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the past water, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to the same skillet used for the chicken and sauté the broccoli, tomatoes, serrano peppers, bell pepper, mushrooms, and parsley until vegetable have softened, 5-7 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and set aside.
Alfredo Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth and smells nutty, making a roux. Whisk in the milk and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream cheese and parmesan. Continue to stir until smooth and slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Combine the chicken, vegetables, pasta, and alfredo sauce in the pot used to cook the pasta and toss over low heat until evenly combined, adding reserved pasta water as/if needed to reach desired consistancy. Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
*If you’re not concerned with keeping this recipe gluten-free, healthy alternatives for the pasta and flour would be high-protein pasta and white whole wheat flour.
**While this recipe is intended to be a “lightened-up” version of pasta primavera, you can of course feel free to use low-fat or whole milk and full fat cream cheese instead.
Recipe adapted from Skinny Suppers
Disclosure: A big thank you to Brooke for providing me with a copy of her book to make this post possible. All opinions are, as always, 100% my own.
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fran says
The way I lighten things up is by adding lots more vegetables than suggested.
Becca says
I try to cut the amount of sugar and salt I put in recipes!
Brittney House says
We like to serve larger portions of veggies to fill us up at dinner time.
Gretchen Luper says
we use a lot of plain yogurt to replace sour cream in recipes
Kimberly Camille Tiu says
adding more greens
Sherril McGann says
I lighten up pasta dishes by swapping pasta half and half with “zoodles” zucchini noodles.
Nadine s says
I never add salt and add cooked quinoa to everything I can.
Jenny S says
Instead of using a bun with burgers my family has been using an avacado slice or tomato slices in place of the burger bun. It cuts carbs by a lot.
Jessica Rose says
My tip for lightening up is to cut out the animal products!
Steph says
I purée some of the veggies into the stew to thicken it without cream
Pat says
I lighten up by using plain yogurt instead of mayo or sour cream.
Cindy Peterson says
I use Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream in recipes. Also, my favorite hamburger bun are baked port0bello mushrooms. Yum! And I use ground turkey for the patty.
Bailey Dexter says
I will sub whipping cream with yogurt for most of my cream sauces to lighten it up!
shannon fowler says
one of my favorite things to make is protein pancakes. we use pumpkin and protein powder mainly with some egg white, greek yogurt, and almond milk. so much healthier than normal pancakes
Robin Miller says
I sub condensed milk sometimes for cream.
raychg says
I substitute apple sauce for oil.
mary anderson says
we do not cook with salt
marla cole wieringa says
I am cutting back on the gluten/wheat products. Not because I have issues, just because they are yummy and are much lighter.
Grant D says
I try to use olive oil instead of butter when cooking
scotti says
i try to add more vegetables to fill it up
Dana says
I only use half the bun and always sub Greek yogurt for sour cream
latoya says
I cut down on salt and butter.
Mary M> says
I use low fat or no fat version of sour cream, whipped topping, and cream cheese.
Denise E. says
I lighten up my recipes by adding greek yogurt in place of creams or mayo. I also make most of my own “cream-of…” soups. I hardly ever salt anything (unless I taste it first).
Liberty says
Using light dressings in salads and pasta salads.
Elicia P says
I will cut back on the sugar and the oil in recipes or I will find subs for both.
Penny Snyder says
I use tortillas instead of bread/buns for sandwiches!
doug gerard says
use half water and half milk in cream soups instead of all whole milk
Laura says
I like to lighten-up a lot of recipes by substituting water for milk. I also like to use more veggies whenever I possibly can! :)
Julie Waldron says
I use low sodium and/or low fat ingredients.
Melanie says
I substitute light sour cream for regular. Daisy brand is my favorite because it’s just lightened up with skim milk, not a bunch of chemicals.
susan smoaks says
to lighten up my favorite recipes i eliminate the cheese and meat. it works for us.
Eva says
I use Greek Yogurt in place of mayo and sour cream in recipes
Daniel M says
always add more veggies
Crystal Sell says
I use lower fat dairy when possible and bulk up on the veggies. I love cooking and experimenting to find healthy and delicious meals!
Stephanie Liske says
I use fat free milk.
Sarah Cool says
use olive oil instead of butter because its better for you
Tina says
I use sunflower oil instead butter when I’m making cookies or cakes
Ashley C says
I try to substitute greek yogurt for at least a portion of sour cream in recipes!
Hafsa says
wonderful recipe! I will try it soon Thanks for sharing
Kristen Patton says
My husband and I love pizza. I like to make cauliflower crust for a healthy alternative! We also love cauliflower garlic “mashed potatoes”!
lisa says
Whenever I use meat in a recipe, I pretty much steam it. i throw it in a pot with the lid on. As it cooks, it creates steam and I don’t need extra oil. If I use meat in a crockpot dish, i don’t even cook it. I just throw it in the crockpot and it turns out great everytime.
Deborah says
I don’t have many tips…that’s why I should read this book!
I cut down on added sugar.
Amy Tolley says
i add fresh fruits and veggies and decrease the salt and fatty foods..
Nancy says
You can double up on the amount of non-starchy vegetables you use in almost any recipe.
Morrighan Crowe says
I lighten it up by saying no to gmo’s, additives and colorings. Fat is not the problem, it is chemicals.
Connie Kline says
Baked instead of fried – I like my chicken this way even better now – and using herbs instead of salt for flavor. I love to try the seasoning blends available in the grocery store and eating better is the perfect excuse to add each new one to my list!
Terry Cross says
I use lower fat products in recipes
Fiona N says
I love vegetables and fruits, so I always try to add them more in my recipes
Thank You
Michele Baron says
I substitute plain greek yoghurt for sour cream
Katy Emanuel says
I will often replace sugar and oil with applesauce or zucchini un recipes.
Jennifer Mays says
I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and mayo
Claire says
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
Natalie says
I never add salt to anything and always use lie fat ingredients
Shakeia Rieux says
I use olive oil instead of cooking oil, and I add more veggies to my dishes
Lynne says
If a recipe calls for either sour cream or mayo I will use low fat versions.
Michelle H. says
I have been shredding vegetables such as carrots and zucchini to put in my spaghetti sauce.
Marnie G says
One of my favorites is making Philly Cheesesteaks — but instead of piling it on bread, I bake it in a green pepper so it is essentially Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.
alexandra says
Love this idea!!!
Leah Shumack says
We add a salad to eat at the beginning of our meals to fill up a little more! Plus we’ve switched over to olive oil for a lot of our cooking!
Sand says
I substitute Greek yogurt for recipes that call for sour cream or mayonnaise.
Angela Saver says
I lighten up recipes for cakes and muffins by reducing the amount of sugar, as well as substituting applesauce or Greek yogurt for the oil/butter.
Leela says
Using less oil.