A bit spicy, a bit creamy, this decadent pasta brings a classic Chicken Alfredo to a whole new level. It’s bursting with flavor and spice thanks to the Cajun seasonings. If this doesn’t wake up your taste buds, nothing will! Don’t worry though, if you don’t like your food too spicy, just add less seasoning and it’ll still taste dreamy. Normally this pasta dish contains an astronomical amount of fat and calories at 919 calories and over 61 grams of fat! I’ve made it skinny by using reduced-fat milk instead of heavy cream, less reduced-fat butter instead of regular and opting for fiber dense whole wheat linguine. The skinny for 1 serving, 391 calories, 9.8 grams fat and 10 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS. This dish is higher in POINTS than most of my recipes but sooo worth it!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 package (1 lb.) chicken breast tenders or 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
6 ounces whole wheat linguine, cooked al dente, see shopping tip
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cajun spices, see shopping tip
3 tablespoons reduced-fat butter
2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
¾ cup reduced-fat milk
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed), blotted well with paper towels, chopped, see prep tip
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.
2. In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Reduce heat, add green onions, milk, tomatoes, basil, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook for few minutes until heated through.
4. Toss in cooked linguine, Parmesan cheese and coat pasta well.
5. Divide among 4 pasta bowls or plates.
6. Serve at once.
Makes 4 servings (each serving ¼ of recipe)
Shopping Tips
You’ll find a Cajun blend of spices in most supermarkets in the spice aisle.
You’ll find whole wheat linguine at Trader Joe’s but most supermarkets and health food stores carry it.
Prep Tip
I recommend using oil packed sun-dried tomatoes because they add so much flavor. Place them in paper towels and squeeze out most of the oil before adding to the dish.
Weight Watchers (old points) 8
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 10
SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving (¼ of recipe)
391 calories, 9.8g fat, 37g protein, 37g carbs, 5g fiber, 597mg sodium, 4g sugar
FAT FACTS: for 1 serving
919 calories, 61.5g fat, 43g protein, 49g carbs, 3g fiber, 759mg sodium, 3g sugar
Find more delicious and healthy recipes on Nancy Fox’s website, Skinny Kitchen
Nancy Fox
Nancy Fox is no stranger to the food industry. She founded Mrs. Beasley's, a gift-basket company featuring baskets full of decadent baked goods. It became the "hot" gift to give among the Hollywood community. Nancy later opened 2 low fat restaurants called Nancy’s Healthy Kitchen. Her line of reduced-fat cookies were featured on "Oprah's Favorites" gift show. Continuing her passion for cooking and baking Nancy created a recipe website called Skinny Kitchen. Each week she shares skinny recipes, cooking and kitchen tips, food finds and the healthy benefits of many recipes. There’s also nutritional facts and Weight Watchers POINTS on each recipe.
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