Creamy Pumpkin Chicken And Cottage Cheese Pasta Recipe
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Diet: High-Protein
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz whole wheat or protein pasta (penne or fusilli work best)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or pasta water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it reaches an “al dente” texture. Before draining, reserve about half a cup of the starchy pasta water to help thin the sauce later if needed. Drain the rest and set the pasta aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet, sautéing for another 3 minutes until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, sage, and nutmeg. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and no lumps from the cottage cheese remain. This creates a thick, high-protein cream sauce that looks just like a traditional vodka or alfredo sauce.
- Lower the heat on the skillet to medium-low. Pour the blended pumpkin and cottage cheese mixture over the chicken and onions. Stir in the chicken broth or reserved pasta water to reach your desired sauce consistency. Add the fresh baby spinach and stir until it begins to wilt into the warm sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta into the skillet. Toss everything together until every noodle is thoroughly coated in the creamy pumpkin sauce. Let it sit on low heat for one minute to allow the flavors to meld together. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more pasta water.