Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This creamy and healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta with spinach and sun dried tomatoes will satisfy your pasta craving! This easy chicken recipe is skinny, family friendly, and can be cooked in your Instant Pot, in the slow cooker, or on the stovetop. Easy to make dairy free!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes sun dried with no oil or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 2 lbs chicken breast (about 2 large breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth low sodium (one cup for Crockpot and stovetop method)
• 3 cups whole wheat pasta I used one 12 oz. box
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese 2%
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 2%
• 2 cups spinach baby
• 1/4 cup basil fresh, or 1 tsp dried basil
• 2/3 cup cheese parmesan

Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:

1. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and lightly spray the pot with cooking spray. Once your pot is hot add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add your cut chicken to the pot, and cook 2-3 minutes stirring often. This will prevent your chicken from clumping together while it’ s under pressure. Once your chicken is browned on all sides add your chicken broth.
3. Add your pasta to the pot and stir well, ensuring that all noodles are below the liquid.
4. Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the time for 3 minutes.
5. While your chicken is cooking, blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together until smooth, then set aside.
6. When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure, and remove the lid. Stir. Drain any excess liquid from the pot.
7. While your noodles are still hot stir in spinach, and basil. Once the leaves have wilted, stir in your blended cottage cheese, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil.

Stove Top Directions:

1. Spay a large skillet/pot with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat sauté sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
2. Add your cubed chicken and sauté until it is browned all sides.
3. Add the chicken broth and noodles to the pot.
4. Once the broth begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Boil 12-15 minutes stirring often to avoid sticking.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the extra liquid and add in the spinach and basil. Stir until wilted.
6. Blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth and stir into your noodles.
7. Add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.

Crock Pot Directions:

1. Spay a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat, sauté the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
2. Add your cubed chicken and sauté until browned on all sides.
3. Transfer chicken and tomatoes to your crockpot and top with chicken broth.
4. Cook on high heat 2-3 hours or low heat 4-5 hours.
5. Add your pasta during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
6. Once pasta is cooked drain extra liquid and add in spinach and basil, stir until wilted.
7. Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, stir into your noodles.
8. Finally, add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.

Notes
Recipe Tips:

• You can substitute fresh, halved grape tomatoes in place of sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce your cooking liquid by ½ cup when using fresh tomatoes.
• If using gluten free pasta, reduce cook time to 2 minutes.
• While this recipe tastes best following exactly you, you can add more Greek yogurt or more cottage cheese if you don’t have one of them.
• Cut your chicken in equally sized pieces to make sure the are all cooked evenly. Large pieces of chicken may not cook long even.
• You can sub fresh basil for dried, just add 1 tsp with your tomatoes.
• You can reduce the carbs in this recipe but only using 1 ½ cups of dried pasta and 1 ½ cup of broth.
• Add more spinach and tomatoes to up your vegetables per serving.
• Add salt and pepper to your taste.

Healthy Eating Plans:

• 21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe: 2 ½ Green Containers, 10 Red Containers, 12 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. For each 1 ½ cup serving: 1/3 Green Container, 1 2/3 Red Containers, 2 Yellow Containers, and 1/3 Blue Containers.
• 2B Mindset: I would eat this as a healthy lunch with extra vegetables.
• Weight Watchers: For weight watchers recipe and points information see this post: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/weight-watchers-tuscan-chicken-pasta/

Nutrition
Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3mg