I think we all try to lighten up our meals in the summertime; there’s just something about warmer weather that makes a heavy meal feel even heavier. This is a great, healthy dish because it uses just a little pasta but a lot of vegetables for lots of flavor, without the calories. I’ve even made it omitting the pasta all together.
This recipe calls for a lot of vegetables, but I like to add tomatoes as well.
Garden Alfredo with Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
5/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
cooking spray
6 oz uncooked pappardelle pasta
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
5 oz thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tsp all purpose flour
2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken across the grain into thin slices; keep warm. Reserve drippings in pan.
While chicken cooks, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
Cut each zucchini and squash in half, crosswise. Cut 1/2-inch slices from outer “walls” of zucchini and squash; discard cores. Slice pieces lengthwise into thin strips.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl. Add zucchini, squash, asparagus and bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 3/8 teaspoon salt. Add garlic and tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Combine broth, half-and-half and flour; stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to reserved drippings in skillet. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Add pasta, vegetables and chicken; toss. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and parsley.
Nutritional Information: Calories Per Serving: 456, Fat: 13.6 g (5.6 g Saturated Fat, 4.7 g Monounsaturated Fat, 1.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat), Protein: 38.7 g, Carbohydrates: 43.2 g, Fiber: 4.4 g, Cholesterol: 106 mg, Iron: 4 mg, Sodium: 718 mg, Calcium: 270 mg.
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