I love food that has pasta, but I can’t stand the way I feel afterwards. It tastes SOOOOO good, but I know I most certainly weigh like 40 pounds extra.

This isn’t really a “healthy alternative” recipe, it most certainly has the same amount of calories (if not a little extra) as a normal chicken alfredo. However, this is a greater way to get a lot of protein in one sitting, as for my workout and weight goals, I eat on average 75% my weight for protein (200 – 213 grams).

Note: I did grill the chicken, so the calories are less than if you were to pan fry it.

You’re noodes do matter though:

Protein pasta is the main thing that adds a whooooole lot of the macros to this recipe. The 1st image has about 5g more of protein in it and 10 less calories than the 2nd. However, it’s strictly made with red lentils unlike the one on the right.

Why am I saying this? Unless you’re really really strict about your macros, just get either one depending on your taste and budget. I personally used the red lentil one, and I calculated the macronutrients based off that.

Macronutrients:

• Calories: 1,050 – 1,145 (can vary based on the amount of chicken. I used 300 grams and got 1,145 calories)
• Protein: 110-129 Grams (Again, varies based on the chicken you have)
• Fat: Roughly 35-40 grams
• Carbs: Roughly 62~68 grams

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken breast
• 1-2 servings of Protein Pasta
• Salt
• Pepper
• Seasonings for chicken breast (I used garlic powder, onion powder, a little bit of chicken bouillon, chili powder, salt, pepper, a little bit of Old Bay, and paprika)
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Sauce & Marinade (Optional)
• Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Half and Half
• 1-2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Low-fat Cream Cheese
  
  

Tips:

• Again, this recipe is aimed towards having a grilled chicken, not a baked or pan fried one. You can still pan-fry it, but adjust the macros to using that method
• The marinade is completely optional, and it adds a lot of depth to this dish. I’d recommend it, or even using your own brine instead, but it’s not a necessity.
• For the parmesan cheese, it’s best to use either finely shredded or grated versions rather than long strips. If you’re wondering if you can use the green cap Kraft bottle of grated cheese, I’ve done it and it doesn’t really give the same flavor as Frigo or BelGioioso. That being said, money is tight and at this point do whatever you can bro bro I don’t blame you.
• This recipe has just enough alfredo sauce to cover the pasta, not the chicken. If you want enough to also have some for the chicken, add in 1/2 of half and half instead of 1/4, along with some reserved pasta water right before you throw your noodles in.

Steps:

Chicken:

• Step -1: This is reserved for the marinade. If you want to, I would marinade it for a minimum of 30 minutes, and a maximum of 8 hours (or overnight).
• Step 1: Remove excess marinade from the chicken and lightly pat it with a paper towel. Coat it with your preferred seasonings.
• Step 2: Use your preferred method of cooking and cook the chicken until done. Transfer to a plate and let it rest.

Alfredo and Sauce

• Step 1: In a pot, fill it up at least half way with water and a couple pinches of salt. Place on the stove and bring your water to boil
• Step 2: Once boiling, add in your pasta and cook until al dente (this means if you were to chew it, it’s a little firm, but you can tell it’s cooked). If you’re still unsure what this means, check the cooking instructions on your pasta box. Subtract a couple of minutes before it says it’s fully done.
• Step 3: Set aside the pasta and drain the water, but reserve some of it in a small container.
• Step 4: Wipe off excess moisture in the pot and set it on medium-low heat. Place in your olive oil and your minced garlic. Cook until fragrant.
• Step 5: Once that’s done, pour in your half and half cream. Give it a couple of stirs and let it simmer on low heat until you start to see small bubbles.
• Step 6: Immediately when this happens, take it off the heat and add in your cream cheese. Begin to stir until the cream cheese has fully melted.
• Step 7: Add a few pinches of salt, pepper, and other seasonings you wish to have in this sauce. Stir for a couple more seconds and then add in some parmesan cheese. Continue to stir for a few more seconds, then add in your pasta.
• Step 8: Once everything is combined, transfer everything (including your chicken) to a plate. If you have some more sauce left over, you can drizzle it onto your chicken. I hope you enjoy!