Creamy pasta
sauces are one of the worst foods out there, packed with TONS of
calories, mostly coming from fat. A dinner sized portion of Chicken
Fettucini Alfredo from a popular Italian restaurant will cost you about
1400 calories and upwards of 80 grams of fat, half of which are
saturated fat grams (the artery clogging kind). I saw this recipe for a
creamy pasta sauce made with Greek yogurt and it really piqued my
interest...
Since this recipe is mostly about the sauce , you could really
use it for whatever pasta, protein, veggie combo you like - in other
words, its a great "clean out the fridge" recipe! This is by no means
an alfredo sauce, but it is a great alternative to your basic marinara.
I used the following:
1 box (~14 oz) whole wheat pasta
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 chicken breast tenders, thawed and cubed
1/3 large onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 zuchinni, diced
1 bag fresh spinach
1 small jar of marinara sauce
1/2 cup low fat or fat free plain Greek yogurt
small handful of 2% mozzarella cheese
Start by preparing pasta according to package directions. Drain water out and return to pot.
Meanwhile, saute chicken in olive oil for a few minutes, until it begins to turn white.
Add in the zucchini, garlic and onion. (You could also use mushrooms, tomatoes, squash, etc...)
Once
veggies begin to soften and chicken is cooked through, 5-8 minutes, add
spinach and cover for 2-3 minutes, until spinach is wilted. You may
need to remove lid and stir after about a minute or so.
To the pasta, add marinara sauce and yogurt.
Add
chicken/veggie mixture to the pot, stir until everything is coated with
sauce, add the mozzarella. The mozzarella is optional, but I had it on
hand so I thought I would use it to add a little more creaminess!
Stir together and it's done!
