High protein means no protein powders or supplements; just real chicken and smart pasta choices. The low-fat cream cheese sauce is rich and creamy without packing on the calories with heavy cream.
This recipe is completely customizable, so you can change the pasta shape, throw in some veggies, or spice it up how you like.
It’s beginner-friendly, and no oddball techniques or tricky ingredients are involved. It’s family-approved, even for picky eaters who get suspicious of anything called healthy.
Ingredients
All measurements are for 4 servings. Ingredient swaps will be listed under each item.
For the Chicken
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin cutlets. Swap: chicken thighs work nicely here and stay juicier; adjust calories slightly upward.
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the pasta and sauce
- 280 g high-protein pasta (such as Barilla Protein+, Chickpea pasta, or Red Lentil penne), or you can use regular penne or rigatoni, which will lose about 5 to 8 g of protein per serving.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 180 g low-fat cream cheese (or use full-fat for a creamier sauce). Or use Greek yogurt to keep it lighter, but it must be added off the heat to prevent curdling.
- 200 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (do not skip this step)
- 30 g Parmesan cheese (or use Pecorino Romano for a sharper flavor, or for a dairy-free option, use nutritional yeast)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 1 lemon, juiced (do not use bottled)
- Salt and pepper your food to your preference.
To Finish
- A handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Parmesan for serving (optional)
- Lemon wedges for the table.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season and Prepare the Chicken
Slice your chicken breast horizontally to create even cutlets.
This is the fastest way to get them cooked through to the right temperature without them drying out.
Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black peeper into a small bowl.
Then, sprinkle the mix over both sides of every cutlet. Set the mix aside while you bring your pasta to a boil.
More surface area for the chicken cutlets is ideal.
More seasoning will create a more flavorful sear to the cutlets as well.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta
Get a large pot and fill it with salted water.
Set it on high until it begins raging like a beast, and then add your pasta.
Look at the instructions and go 1 minute less than the recommended time.
Before you drain it, take out a half cup of pasta water.
This is your secret weapon. Drain the pasta, and leave it for now.
Step 3: Sear the Chicken
Put a large skillet on medium-high and add your olive oil.
Once you see the oil shimmering, add your seasoned chicken and even out the layers.
Cook until you see a golden brown color on each side, and check the internal temperature.
Once it is at 165 degrees F, take it off and put it on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let it sit for 5 minutes.
The rest is one of the most important steps that will determine the dryness of your chicken.
Step 4: Making the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium.
We’ll be making the sauce right in the same pan, so we can utilize the fond at the bottom.
Put in the minced garlic and sauté for 60-90 seconds until it smells really good but not browned.
Plop in the cream cheese and whisk until melted and the sauce is creamy.
Pour in the chicken broth to loosen the sauce.
Add the Italian seasoning and optional red pepper flakes to the sauce with a good amount of lemon juice.
Step 5: Finishing Up
Put the drained pasta in the pan and pour in a bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and toss to combine. The whole sauce process takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Plate and Serve
Once you’ve cooked the chicken and combined it with the pasta and sauce, you can begin serving it.
Put the pasta into bowls and fan the chicken slices out over the pasta.
Scatter fresh parsley all over everything and add some more Parmesan if you want.
Serve it with lemon slices on the side.
Tips for the Best Result
For the chicken, get a thermometer.
Juicy chicken is 72 degrees C, while dry chicken is 80 degrees C. Instant-read thermometers take the guesswork out for you.
When reserving your pasta water for sauce, keep more water than you think you will need, at least one cup.
This is because the magic of clang and heat turns a chunky sauce into a velvety sauce.
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes before the cooking starts.
Cold cream cheese will create lumps in the sauce that take an annoying amount of whisking to dissolve.
The pasta cooking water should taste of seawater.
This is the only time you will get to season the pasta from the inside, and it makes a big difference.
You can also add spinach or sundried tomatoes for even more flavor.
When the sauce is done, stir in two big handfuls of baby spinach or a few tablespoons of chopped sundried tomatoes.
Both options won’t add any significant calories.
I recommend pulling the pasta a minute early, as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Al dente pasta is one of the best underrated textures in weeknight cooking.
Serving suggestions
This pasta dish is a meal in itself.
Pair it with a simple arugula salad with lemon, olive oil, and roasted cherry tomatoes.
The tomatoes will burst and add flavor to the pasta.
Crusty, whole-grain bread is great for mopping up extra sauce.
To add more protein, add a soft-boiled egg on top.
Steamed broccoli stirred into the sauce also adds protein, as does tossing in toasted pine nuts for extra crunch.
Storage Instructions
If you’d like to save some pasta for another day, seal some of your serving in an airtight container in your fridge for no longer than 4 days.
When you want to eat it again, reheat the whole container on the stove, adding some chicken broth or water to bring the sauce back to the way it was.
When using the microwave, reheat it in 1-minute increments to control the moisture.
Chicken can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, and then sliced, sealed, and stored separately from the pasta, which makes it quicker to assemble for weeknight dinners.
Cream cheese sauces do not freeze well, so it is not recommended to freeze your pasta.
If you want to save time on the day of the cook, prepare your spices and chop your garlic ahead of time.
High Protein Creamy Chicken Pasta (Healthy & Under 500 Calories)
High protein means no protein powders or supplements; just real chicken and smart pasta choices. The low-fat cream cheese sauce is rich and creamy without packing on the calories with heavy cream.
This recipe is completely customizable, so you can change the pasta shape, throw in some veggies, or spice it up how you like. It’s beginner-friendly, and no oddball techniques or tricky ingredients are involved. It’s family-approved, even for picky eaters who get suspicious of anything called healthy.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- All measurements are for 4 servings. Ingredient swaps will be listed under each item.
- For the Chicken
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin cutlets. Swap: chicken thighs work nicely here and stay juicier; just adjust calories slightly upward.
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- For the pasta and sauce
- 280 g high-protein pasta (such as Barilla Protein+, Chickpea pasta, or Red Lentil penne), or you can use regular penne or rigatoni which will lose about 5 to 8 g of protein per serving.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 180 g low-fat cream cheese (or use full-fat for a creamier sauce). Or use Greek yogurt to keep it lighter, but it must be added off the heat to prevent curdling.
- 200 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (do not skip this step)
- 30 g Parmesan cheese (or use Pecorino Romano for a sharper flavor, or for a dairy-free option, use nutritional yeast)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 1 lemon, juiced (do not use bottled)
- Salt and pepper your food to your preference.
- To Finish
- A handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Parmesan for serving (optional)
- Lemon wedges for the table.
Instructions
Step 1: Season and Prepare the Chicken
Slice your chicken breast horizontally to create even cutlets.
This is the fastest way to get them cooked through to the right temperature without them drying out.
Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black peeper into a small bowl.
Then, sprinkle the mix over both sides of every cutlet. Set the mix aside while you bring your pasta to a boil.
More surface area for the chicken cutlets is ideal.
More seasoning will create a more flavorful sear to the cutlets as well.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta
Get a large pot and fill it with salted water.
Set it on high until it begins raging like a beast, and then add your pasta.
Look at the instructions and go 1 minute less than the recommended time.
Before you drain it, take out a half cup of pasta water.
This is your secret weapon. Drain the pasta, and leave it for now.
Step 3: Sear the Chicken
Put a large skillet on medium-high and add your olive oil.
Once you see the oil shimmering, add your seasoned chicken and even out the layers.
Cook until you see a golden brown color on each side, and check the internal temperature.
Once it is at 165 degrees F, take it off and put it on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let it sit for 5 minutes.
The rest is one of the most important steps that will determine the dryness of your chicken.
Step 4: Making the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium.
We’ll be making the sauce right in the same pan, so we can utilize the fond at the bottom.
Put in the minced garlic and sauté for 60-90 seconds until it smells really good but not browned.
Plop in the cream cheese and whisk until melted and the sauce is creamy.
Pour in the chicken broth to loosen the sauce.
Add the Italian seasoning and optional red pepper flakes to the sauce with a good amount of lemon juice.
Step 5: Finishing Up
Put the drained pasta in the pan and pour in a bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and toss to combine. The whole sauce process takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Plate and Serve
Once you've cooked the chicken and combined it with the pasta and sauce, you can begin serving it.
Put the pasta into bowls and fan the chicken slices out over the pasta.
Scatter fresh parsley all over everything and add some more Parmesan if you want.
Serve it with lemon slices on the side.
Notes
For the chicken, get a thermometer.
Juicy chicken is 72 degrees C, while dry chicken is 80 degrees C. Instant-read thermometers take the guesswork out for you.
When reserving your pasta water for sauce, keep more water than you think you will need, at least one cup.
This is because the magic of clang and heat turns a chunky sauce into a velvety sauce.
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes before the cooking starts.
Cold cream cheese will create lumps in the sauce that take an annoying amount of whisking to dissolve.