Serving Size: 2 cups
Note: For this recipe, you should use sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil. Ready-to-eat sun-dried tomatoes are usually found plastic tubs or vacuum-sealed packages in the produce section of the grocery store.
Ready-to-eat sun-dried tomatoes are pliable and don’t require rehydration. If you purchase brittle sun-dried tomatoes, they will need to be rehydrated before use in this recipe: Place the tomatoes in a bowl, add enough hot water to cover, and soak for 20 minutes or until tender.
Because the sauce thickens in the fridge, when reheating leftovers, I recommend you add a splash of water to moisten it; then microwave, and stir before serving.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Classic Alfredo sauce is loaded with calories from heavy cream and butter. My slimmed-down version gives you the creamy, velvety texture for a fraction of the cals.
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 8-10 ounces cremini, baby bella mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 12-14 ounces 100% whole-grain linguine or fettuccine
- 12 ounces fat-free evaporated milk
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into thin ribbons*
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil.
- While the pasta water is heating, prepare the chicken and mushrooms: Liberally coat a large skillet or sauté pan with oil spray, and preheat it over medium heat.
- Season the chicken pieces with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add them to the skillet and sauté until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to large serving bowl (the bowl should be large enough to accommodate the finished dish).
- Return the skillet to the stove and raise the heat to medium-high. Reapply oil spray, liberally coating the bottom of the skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the serving bowl with the chicken.
- Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the Alfredo sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, cream cheese, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally with a wire whisk to break up the cream cheese, until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture is barely simmering, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to overheat the mixture because the milk will curdle.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and whisk for 1 minute. Remove the Alfredo sauce from the heat.
- Drain the pasta, reserving approximately 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Add the pasta, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and Alfredo sauce to the chicken and mushrooms, and toss to coat all the ingredients evenly with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
- (The sauce will begin to thicken as it stands. If you’d like to thin it out as it cools, add the reserved pasta water in ¼-cup increments until the desired consistency is achieved.)
Notes
Nutrition Information per serving
Calories: 497Carbohydrates: 58gProtein: 47gTotal Fat: 8g— Unsaturated Fat: 5g— Saturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 765mgFiber: 8g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.