Cottage Cheese Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
A blended cottage cheese sauce stands in for the cream and butter — same silky coat on the noodles, a lot more protein per bowl.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil over medium-high heat until deeply browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest.
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Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and blanch until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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Cook the penne in the same pot until al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
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Blend the cottage cheese, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and a splash of the reserved pasta water until completely smooth, with no visible curds.
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Slice the rested chicken.
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Return the drained pasta to the pot over low heat, pour in the blended sauce, and toss until it clings to every piece, loosening with more pasta water as needed.
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Fold in the broccoli and sliced chicken, then serve with more parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Notes
The whole trick is in the blender, not the stove: cottage cheese curds are already soft, but a few seconds too short and the sauce turns grainy instead of pourable. Run it longer than feels necessary, scraping down the sides once, until it looks like a jar of ricotta lost an argument with heavy cream. Full-fat or low-fat both blend smooth — skip fat-free, which thins out and loses the tang that makes this taste like a sauce rather than a substitution.
Stir in a handful of baby spinach off the heat if you want more green, or leave the chicken out entirely and stir cannellini beans into the sauce instead. Leftovers tighten up in the fridge; a splash of water or broth when reheating brings the sauce back.