Dear friends. I am deeply sorry, but I completely forgot to share one of my new favorite recipes with you this week. I don’t know what I was thinking, because this stuff is the bomb dot com. Oh wait, maybe I was a little too busy thinking of this stuff lately…
Last weekend (yes it was that long ago) I was on a complete greek yogurt kick. I made carrot cake waffles with it in the morning for breakfast. Then it came time for dinner and Josh wanted pasta with alfredo sauce. I used to be the biggest alfredo fan in the world (hated red sauce). Now I still like it, but it’s definitely a treat. For the sake of my skinny jeans, it’s a treat.
But being the nice wife that I am, I did some research and found this alfredo recipe online from Rocco DiSpirito. It was originally posted in Runners World a few years ago. Lucky for me I had all of the ingredients on hand. I decided we would give it a shot, and I had a jar of Trader Joe’s Marinara in the fridge if it didn’t turn out.
I loved the idea of a healthy alfredo, full of protein, rather than saturated fat. But I have to admit I was a little skeptical.
Josh looked at me like I was an alien as I whisked yogurt into the sauce.
I sautéed some sliced mushrooms, garlic and shredded chicken on the side. Assembled the pasta, chicken and sauce with Mr. Marinara waiting idly in case of emergency.
We sat down, Josh took the first bite skeptically, and then got a big grin on his face. ”It’s awesome!” I breathed a sigh of relief and took a bite for myself. It was incredible!!! Creamy, garlicky, a little cheesy… Everything I would want from an alfredo sauce. I’ve made alfredo before and it seems like it always separates into a greasy mess. This wasn’t like that at all. It stayed perfectly creamy, even reheated the next day!
And the recipe is super easy to boot.
I’ve been buying the big containers of 0% Fage Plain from Costco for $4.99 so I used that and it was incredible. I fully plan on making this again some time soon. And not have to buy new jeans either (unless I find a sale – then all bets are off 
)
Skinny Jeans Chicken Alfredo – with greek yogurt
by
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: saute sauce entree high protein greek yogurt
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 8 oz. whole wheat penne noodles
- 2 t olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 t cornstarch
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 3/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
- 1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
Instructions
Pasta
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions, 9 to 11 minutes; drain.
Chicken and mushrooms (feel free to substitute any veggies or toppings you desire)
Spray another saute pan with cooking spray, add mushrooms, saute 4-5 minutes until cooked through, add 1 clove minced garlic and cooked chicken, continue to heat and stir while finishing the sauce
Sauce
While pasta and mushrooms are cooking, heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and nutmeg in small bowl. Whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Pour mixture into sauté pan, raise heat, and bring sauce to simmer, whisking occasionally. Whisk in ½ cup cheese until melted. Remove sauté pan from heat and whisk in yogurt until sauce is smooth.
In large bowl, toss noodles, chicken and mushrooms with Alfredo sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired. Top pasta with remaining ¼ cup cheese and serve.
