We love this pasta! Rather, I should say, I love this pasta, Brad really loves this pasta. I’ve seen him eat it every meal for two consecutive days and still rave. Because it’s that awesome.
I think it was the first recipe I tried from Skinny Taste and the one that made me immediately fall in love with Gina and her blog. Except for increasing the ratio of vegetables to pasta and using a homemade Cajun seasoning blend to control salt, we make virtually no changes. 
So colorful and healthy, this creamy sauce has just the right amount of kick. Add more cayenne if you like a little more fire or back it off if you have a less jaded palate. This is quick and convenient for a weeknight dinner – under 30 minutes – and leftovers heat up super yummy the next day, as Brad will attest.
Ingredients
- 6 oz pasta (I use fettuccine)
- 1/3 c skim milk
- 2 tbs corn starch
- 4 oz Neufchâtel or light cream cheese
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- salt, to taste
- Olive oil spray (I use my misto)
- 3 bell peppers, assorted colors (red, orange, yellow, if it's all the same)
- 1/2 a large red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 12 oz mushrooms
- 2 tomatoes, cored and sliced
- 1 c fat free, low sodium chicken broth
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 2 tbs parsley, chopped
Instructions
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Using a blender, hand blender, or food processor, blend milk, cornstarch, and cheese to create a slurry. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine chicken breast strips with garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, thyme, cayenne, and salt.
Heat a very large skillet or brasier over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on the outside, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Spray pan with additional olive oil and add the peppers and onions. saute 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute and additional 4-5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and chicken along with any juices. Bring to a boil and add the corn starch slurry. Continue to simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir in pasta and green onions and toss to combine. Serve garnished with parsley.
Nutritional Information
Calories 345 / Total Fat 9.0g / Saturated Fat 3.4g / Trans Fat 0.0g / Cholesterol 99mg / Sodium 264mg / Potassium 992mg / Total Carbohydrates 35.8g / Dietary Fiber 3.7g / Sugars 8.1g / Protein 29.4g
Weight Watchers Points: 7 / PointsPlus: 9
Adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes.
Yeah, this is a winner. Had it for dinner, lunch the next day, and then the next day for lunch given a choice between this and some other meal on this blog (I don’t even remember which one) I went with this again!
Reheats well. We usually have some Louisiana style hot sauce nearby for a couple extra-hot bites.
Super good with white wine. We like dry Sauv Blancs, but this is so flavorful it could stand up to any white and a lot of reds too.
This looks amazing- love all those bright colors. Plus anything that my husband will eat as leftovers is a bonus! I’m not too familiar with cajun seasonings, but looking at the list maybe I am and didn’t even know it. Pinned!
This was DELICIOUS! I’ve been trying some lighter recipes recently without telling the family. He really liked this without knowing it was light… I’m not going to tell him the difference O.O I added salt to the recipe.