Chicken and broccoli coated in a light skinny garlic Alfredo sauce. This healthy low-calorie version of chicken Alfredo is creamy, flavorful, and even tastier than the original at just 496 calories per serving! Plus, it comes together in under 30 minutes!
Lightning up fatty dishes has become one of my favorite jobs as a food blogger. There are so many pasta dishes out there but they’re usually full of butter and heavy cream so I can never really enjoy them without feeling guilty.
Luckily, with the help of a few teaspoons of flour, low-fat milk, and chicken stock a thick and creamy sauce comes together in under 10 minutes. I swear you guys, this sauce is everything you want in a creamy pasta sauce and more. It’s extremely flavorful, creamy and decadent.
What you will Need
Most of the ingredients needed to make this delicious low-calorie chicken alfredo are basic pantry staples that you probably already have on hand. Here’s what you will need:
- Chicken Breasts: You can replace this with any protein or pre-cooked chicken breasts.
- Linguine: or your favorite type of pasta
- Broccoli: This is an optional addition but adds lots of texture and nutrition tot he dish
- To make the skinny alfredo cream sauce: instead of using heavy cream, I use a mixture of flour, milk, chicken broth, cream cheese, garlic, and seasoning. This sauce yields a result similar to bechamel sauce and can be used to make any pasta dish too!
How to Make Low-Calorie Chicken Alfredo Pasta
To get started simply toss your pasta in boiling water cook the pasta al-dente, and add broccoli during the last minute of cooking. I used regular pasta but whole wheat or even zucchini noodles will work great too.
While the pasta is cooking pan sear your chicken breasts in a tablespoon of olive oil. You can also used pre-cooked chicken too if your prefer.
Next, saute some garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil (in the same pan!) then whisk in the flour along with some milk and chicken stock (You can use whole milk, low-fat or fat-free. You can also replace the chicken stock with veggie stock or even water). Add parmesan season with salt and pepper and whisk away folks.
In minutes, a light and healthy sauce is born. Toss in the cooked pasta and broccoli and toss into the sauce.
Top off with the chicken breasts and serve with a generous shaving of fresh parmesan or toss the chicken into the pasta sauce and enjoy a healthy filling meal without the guilt!
Recipe Tip
Salt the pasta water: To season the pasta, be sure to add about 1 tablespoon of salt to the cooking water.
Reserve pasta water: Save about half a cup of the pasta cooking water, it contains quite a bit of starch and works well to loosen up the sauce.
Different protein: Mix things up and try using different proteins with the pasta and sauce. Shrimp or sausage would be delicious, just be sure to adjust the cook time.
Serving suggestions
With how satisfying this meal is, you could honestly just serve it as is as a complete meal, but if you want to balance out the meal with some side dishes, here are some options.
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounces pasta, any shape
- 2 cups broccoli florets
For the chicken:
- 2 medium chicken breasts, pounded flat or cut in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH garlic powder, paprika, italian seasoning, salt, pepper
For the Alfredo sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or butter
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock, or water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente in generously salted water according to package directions. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta during the last minute of cooking. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil to pan. Season chicken breasts and add to the pan.
- Cook chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan, cool for 5 minutes then slice or dice.
- To the same pan (do not rinse), add 1 tablespoon olive oil and onion. Cook onion down for 3-5 minutes then add in the garlic and sautee for about 30 seconds or until garlic begins to turn golden. Whisk in the flour until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds then gradually whisk in chicken stock and milk, whisking constantly, until incorporated.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk in the cream cheese and parmesan until lump free. Season generously with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add cooked drained pasta and broccoli to the sauce. Top with cooked (diced or sliced) chicken breasts. Toss to combine or serve chicken on top. Top with more parmesan cheese or parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.