Description
A silky, deeply flavorful Alfredo sauce made with cottage cheese, parmesan, and garlic — blended smooth in minutes and finished in the same pan as the chicken for a depth of flavor most Alfredo recipes never get close to. 45+ grams of protein per serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese (2% or full fat)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 12 oz Brami lupini penne (or your preferred higher-protein pasta)
- 1 to 1½ lbs chicken breast, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup fresh basil or parsley
- Red pepper flakes, cracked black pepper, and extra parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, parmesan, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out about a cup of pasta water in a heat-safe cup and set it aside. You'll use it to adjust the sauce consistency at the end.
- Season diced chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken until golden and cooked through. If your pan isn't very large, work in batches. Crowding the pan traps steam and you won't get a proper sear. The color on the chicken is flavor you're building for the sauce.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°F, remove it and set aside. Add butter to the same pan over medium-low heat and let it melt, starting to scrape up the browned bits (also called fond).
- Pour the blended sauce into the pan and turn the heat off. You don't want the sauce to boil and curdle. The residual heat from the pan is plenty to warm everything through. Whisk to combine the sauce with the butter and fond, scraping up all the browned bits, then add pasta water a quarter cup at a time until the sauce is silky and coats a spoon. Some people like it thicker, some thinner. Adjust to your liking.
- Add the chicken back in and toss to coat.
- Add the pasta directly to the pan and toss, or serve the sauce and chicken with pasta on the side so everyone can portion their own. Finish with freshly grated parmesan, fresh herbs, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
Notes
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container for up to four days. Store sauce and pasta separately if possible.
Reheat sauce low and slow with a splash of milk to loosen.
Brami lupini penne is our pasta of choice here. Goodles is another great option. Both bring significantly more protein and fiber than standard pasta with a texture that actually holds up.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 474
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 1006.8 mg
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.9 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 48.9 g
- Cholesterol: 102.1 mg
