Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Blended Cottage Cheese Sauce

Spicy Cajun-seared chicken and peppers in a velvety Parmesan cream sauce made from blended cottage cheese, tossed with protein pasta, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless chicken breasts, sliced
• 1½ tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 8 oz protein penne
• 2 cups 2% cottage cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• ½ cup milk
• 2 garlic cloves
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

From your pantry: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, salt.

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup water and drain.
2. Toss the chicken with the Cajun seasoning and paprika. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken and pepper until the chicken is browned and 165°F inside, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Blend the cottage cheese, Parmesan, milk and garlic until completely smooth.
4. Lower the heat, add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach to the skillet until wilted, then stir in the sauce and pasta. Warm gently, loosening with pasta water, until creamy. Taste for salt, since Cajun blends vary.

Tip: Blending removes every curd, so nobody will guess the sauce is cottage cheese; a high-speed blender takes about 30 seconds.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Well Plated.

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