Ahhhh creamy, dreamy, and rich Alfredo sauce. Hands down, pretty much the best thing to ever happen to pasta. But it definitely comes at a price. It’ll cost you lots of valuable calories. But it’s so worth it. Wouldn’t you agree?
When I do get a hankering for Alfredo sauce (which is more often than I care to admit) and decide to indulge, I love making Alfredo sauce at home. Because let’s face it. Jarred Alfredo just doesn’t cut it. For my recipe, I use cream cheese because it makes the sauce so creamy and smooth—and you don’t have to rely on heavy cream. So easy peasy, my friends. I lighten up my version a little by using neufchatel instead of the fully loaded cream cheese. Am I justifying? Probably. Especially when you consider the amount of butter in this recipe.
But I also omit the buckets of shredded Parmesan that often go into Alfredo sauce and save some to sprinkle on top. The best part of this sauce (besides the fact that it’s so freaking delicious) is that it stays smooth and doesn’t clump up or curdle. BEEYOUTEEFULL! My Lighter Chicken Alfredo is colorful, super easy to make, and chock full of tender chicken, crisp veggies, and colorful veggie rotini blanketed in the rich and decadent Alfredo sauce. This perfect-for-a-weeknight meal is guaranteed to make it to the top of your list.
- 12-oz package veggie rotini (or favorite pasta)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 Tbsp canola or olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms
- ALFREDO SAUCE:
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1 8-oz package neufchatel
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil. Add chicken pieces and saute until browned on all sides. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.
- In same pan, add additional 1 Tbsp oil and saute bell pepper and mushrooms until crisp-tender and mushrooms are golden brown. Add peppers and mushrooms to chicken.
- In same skillet, add broccoli with enough water to cover bottom of pan. Let water boil and steam broccoli, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and broccoli is crisp-tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add to chicken, bell pepper, and mushroom mixture in bowl.
- In same skillet over low heat, melt butter and neufchatel and stir until smooth. Add milk, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until thickened and heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken and veggie mixture and pasta to sauce and toss well to coat. Serve with shredded Parmesan and chopped fresh basil.
[…] not one, but TWO recipes today. If you haven’t already, check out my Lighter Chicken Alfredo here. I just couldn’t wait any longer to post this beyond amazing Key Lime Pie with Granola Crust […]