Chicken Alfredo
Seared chicken and red lentil pasta in a creamy sauce blended from cottage cheese, parmesan and garlic.
- Hands-on
- 18 min
- Total time
36 min, show breakdown
- Prep 8 min
- Cook 20 min
- Clean up 8 min
- Pans
- 2
- Ingredients
- 7
- Cost/serving
- $3.93
Per serving
- Calories
- 546
- Protein
- 55 g
- Fiber
- 6.8 g
- Net carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 17 g
High in (% Daily Value per serving): Vitamin K 127%, Selenium 82%, Vitamin B6 72%, Niacin (B3) 68%, Riboflavin (B2) 48%, Folate 42%, Vitamin B12 38%, Zinc 34%, Thiamin (B1) 33%, Iron 31%, Calcium 29%, Magnesium 26%, Vitamin A 23%, Potassium 22%
Whole recipe (): . Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.
Everything else is scaled from this.
Nutrition per serving is the whole batch divided by this.
Already egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.
Ingredients for 2
Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.
You changed this recipe. Nutrition and cost include your changes. This combination hasn't been tested.
- 1 breast chicken breast, boneless skinless (200 g)
120 g red lentil pasta, dry
Same amount as: 4¼ oz.
1 cup cottage cheese, 2% (226 g)
Same amount as: 240 mL.
6 tbsp parmesan, grated (30 g), finely grated
Same amount as: 90 mL.
2 cloves garlic, smashed (6 g)
Same amount as: 2 tsp fresh minced garlic, 1 tsp jarred minced garlic, ¼ tsp garlic powder.
1 tbsp olive oil (14 g)
Same amount as: 15 mL.
2 cups baby spinach (60 g)
Same amount as: 480 mL.
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Use the menu next to each ingredient to skip it, halve it or add more. Nutrition updates as you go. The main ingredient changes with servings instead.
Amount for everything you're cooking. Missing an ingredient? Ask for it.
Healthier swaps
Optional. Nutrition and cost update as you choose; the recipe was written with the original.
Optional
Adds about 0 kcal per serving.
Quantities are for 2 servings. For 4, sear the chicken in two rounds so it browns instead of steaming.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per recipe
Serving size 1 plate (328 g raw)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV* | Whole recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 546 | ||
| Total fat | 17 g | 22% | |
| Saturated fat | 5.6 g | 28% | |
| Cholesterol | 97 mg | 32% | |
| Sodium | 819 mg | 36% | |
| Total carbohydrate | 44 g | 16% | |
| Dietary fiber | 6.8 g | 24% | |
| Total sugars | 6 g | ||
| Net carbs† | 37 g | ||
| Protein | 55 g | 110% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.29 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 371 mg | 29% | |
| Iron | 5.5 mg | 31% | |
| Potassium | 1,031 mg | 22% | |
| Vitamin A | 205 mcg | 23% | |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg | 11% | |
| Vitamin E | 2.1 mg | 14% | |
| Vitamin K | 153 mcg | 127% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.39 mg | 33% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.63 mg | 48% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 11 mg | 68% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.2 mg | 72% | |
| Folate | 167 mcg | 42% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.92 mcg | 38% | |
| Magnesium | 108 mg | 26% | |
| Zinc | 3.8 mg | 34% | |
| Selenium | 45 mcg | 82% |
Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.
* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.
Steps
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Blend the cottage cheese, parmesan and garlic until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
Done looks like: Thick, glossy and smooth like sour cream, with no curds left. Pat the chicken dry. If it is thicker than 2.5 cm (1 in), slice it in half through the side. Salt and pepper both sides.
Heat the oil in the nonstick pan on medium-high for 2 minutes. Lay in the chicken and leave it 5 minutes. Flip and cook 4–5 minutes more.
Done looks like: Golden brown on both sides. Thermometer reads 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part. Move the chicken to a board to rest. Turn the pan off.
Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the packet says. Scoop out ½ cup of the water, then drain.
Done looks like: Tender with a slight bite. Lentil pasta goes soft fast, so taste early. Put the pan back on low. Add the pasta, spinach and sauce with 3 tbsp of pasta water. Stir 1–2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce coats the pasta. Do not let it bubble.
Done looks like: Sauce creamy and clinging to the pasta, hot but not bubbling. Slice the chicken and lay it on top. Add black pepper and serve right away.
Equipment
Medium pot with lid, about 2 L (2 qt) $15–35
What to look for
- Lid that fits snugly
- Thick base so it does not scorch
Skip: Glass lids that fog up are fine; copper is not needed.
Non-stick frying pan, 26 cm (10 in) $20–45
What to look for
- Flat, heavy base that does not wobble on the stove
- Oven-safe handle is a bonus, not required
- Works on your stove type (induction needs a magnetic base)
Skip: Sets of 10 pieces. You will use two of them.
Blender $30–100
What to look for
- Handles frozen fruit without stalling
- Jar that is easy to take apart and rinse
Skip: Expensive high-speed blenders unless you blend every day. A personal blender works for one serving.
Instant-read digital thermometer $10–30
What to look for
- Reads in 5 seconds or less
- Thin probe tip
- Shows °C and °F
Skip: Dial thermometers that take 20+ seconds.
Silicone spatula $5–12
What to look for
- One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
- Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick
Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.
Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50
What to look for
- Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
- Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years
Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.
Cutting board $10–30
What to look for
- At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
- Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher
Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.
What goes wrong
| What | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sauce turns grainy or splits | Too much heat. Cottage cheese and parmesan tighten and separate when they boil. | Keep the pan on low and take it off the heat as soon as it is hot. A splash of pasta water smooths it. |
| Sauce tastes lumpy or chalky | Not blended long enough. | Blend a full minute and scrape down the sides once. |
| Dry chicken | Cooked past temperature, or sliced right away. | Pull it at 74 °C / 165 °F and rest it 5 minutes before slicing. |
Notes
Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.
Pregnancy: Cook chicken to 74 °C / 165 °F. Use cottage cheese and parmesan made from pasteurized milk.