The near constant dreariness around here is making me regress slightly and crave comfort foods, like the Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo I made for dinner tonight.
Seasoned chicken, steamed broccoli & tender pasta are enveloped in a light-yet-luscious alfredo sauce dreamed up by Courtney at Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life. Love that girl’s recipes!
This is the kind of meal that makes you sit back and sigh with satisfaction when you’re done. Healthy, filling, and indulgent tasting. Seriously yummy stuff!
Start by cooking 8oz short-cut pasta in salted, boiling water. Don’t forget to salt the water with at least a Tablespoon of salt – it makes all the flavor difference in the world. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. You’ll use it in a bit.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add in a couple cloves of minced garlic, then cook until the garlic turns golden brown, about a minute.
When the garlic is golden brown and fragrant, whisk in 2 Tablespoons flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about another minute.
Next, slowly whisk in 1 cup chicken broth, incorporating it with the flour, then whisk in 1/4 cup milk.
Add 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt plus salt and pepper, then let the sauce bubble until slightly thick and bubbly.
Finally, stir in 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and 2 chopped, cooked chicken breasts.
Assembly time!
Add the alfredo sauce and chicken to the cooked pasta, then add in 2 cups cooked broccoli. If you’re smart, you’ll cook the broccoli in with the pasta during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time. If you’re me, you’ll forget, drain the pasta, then have to steam the broccoli in a separate pan. Blerg! At any rate, add in some of the pasta cooking water at this time if you feel the sauce is too thick, and stir everything together.
This alfredo sauce is creamy, cheesy, silky and decadent. Just like the real thing, but skinny! You could easily make this dish gluten-free by using GF pasta, too!
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Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Description
Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo is everything you love about alfredo, but without all the fat and calories!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper then cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups cooked broccoli
- 8oz rotini
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Set aside.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to incorporate and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk in Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off then stir in parmesan cheese, then chicken. Pour over cooked pasta then add broccoli and stir well. Add a little reserved pasta cooking water if sauce is too thick. Serve.
Notes
Barely adapted from Celebrations.com
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Although…I’m pretty sure Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo stops being so “skinny” after the second or, cough, third bowl. Worth it!
Villy @ For the love of Feeding 03.23.2012
I’ve actually never tried alfredo pasta (true story). This looks like a great first time :D
rebecca 03.23.2012
That recipe looks delicious and nutritious! Are those proportions for two people?
Thanks!
Iowa Girl Eats 03.23.2012
The recipe serves 4.
Kristie 03.23.2012
Sounds sooo good! I’m definitely going to make this (almond milk is all I have too;)). Thank you for giving us healthy and fast recipes!!!
Rosella 03.23.2012
I don’t like birds at all. I think they are so creepy. I thought I was the only one one. I also dislike snakes, spiders and cock roaches. Bats don’t thrill me either.
Juju@getfitwithjuju 03.23.2012
This looks so yummy! I need to try this =]
Tessa 03.22.2012
Laughed at your pictures of all the pans… my husband swears I must try to make every dish in the kitchen dirty whenever I cook :)
This pasta sounds delicious!
lisa 03.22.2012
I hate snakes! This pasta looks great, can’t wait to try it!
Ashley @ coffee cake and cardio 03.22.2012
I can’t stand cockaroaches!
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life 03.22.2012
Awww, yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Kristin! Yours looks phenomenal…and now I want some of my own, haha! :)
Cindy 03.22.2012
Sorry about the drearies. LOL on your post lede! This looks great.
Lindsey 03.22.2012
Spiders disgust me!
Shannon 03.22.2012
I usually make something like this….but without the alfredo. I just use a garlic/oil type of sauce. The last time I made it I threw in some roasted grape tomoatoes. It was delicious!
Nicole G 03.22.2012
Oooh! That looks great! It has been dreary the last two days here in Missouri too. Which is a bummer because last week was sunny and in the 80’s! I love pasta, red sauce, white sauce, you name it!
I hate spiders and birds (except owls, for some reason, I really like owls and always have). And cats. Sorry, cat lovers. I think that is mostly because I am severly allergic to them.
Ash 03.22.2012
I’ll have to try this! I love alfredo sauce but won’t make it at home and rarely eat outside the house because it is so terrible for you.
Have you really had that much gloomy rainy weather? I live in Iowa City and we’ve had clear skies until today.
Lauren 03.22.2012
Funny, I was totally craving something like this last night. I didn’t go the whole alfredo route but I did make a lovely sauce from hummus and balsamic. Yours looks delicious!
Nicole @ http://healthygirladventures.wordpress.com/ 03.22.2012
yummy! Looks good. Alfredo pasta- cannot resist. BTW beautiful flowers.
Michelle (Better with Berries) 03.22.2012
I’m not usually as much of a white sauce fan as I am of red sauce, but this looks delicious!
I don’t like birds much either :-)
Alexis 03.22.2012
oh my gosh! i was going to make boring chicken parm tonight, but this looks wayyy better. thanks IGE :)
Lindsey 03.22.2012
I’m right there with ya, IGE! Birds are terrifying! At UMass, where I went to school, we used to have swans in the campus pond. I saw one sneak up and attack a baby in a stroller once and they held me hostage in the library another time. I imagine the poor things were tormented by drunk college kids, but still! They have retired to some sort of swan sanctuary, which is great for me since I now work on campus!
Monica 03.22.2012
OMG, this looks mouth-watering! I want to run home now and make it for dinner tonight! And I have to say I love your Fiestaware. Do you have all the same color or do you mix and match? I’m thinking of taking the plunge and upgrading from our Corelle.
Natali McKee 06.09.2015
We make a similar recipe but I haven’t tried the minced garlic. I love flavor though, so I will try that next time!