Go Back
Overhead view of chicken pesto pasta in a white bowl with browned chicken, cherry tomatoes and spinach on oak

High-Protein Chicken Pesto Pasta with Cottage Cheese Sauce

Chicken, penne and a blended cottage cheese pesto sauce, about 40 g protein per serving, on the table in 25 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, American comfort, Tex-Mex, Italian-American
Calories: 689
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cottage cheese pesto sauce
  • 340 g 2% small curd cottage cheese / 1 1/2 cups
  • 90 g basil pesto / 6 tbsp
  • 30 g Parmesan / about 1/3 cup; finely grated, plus extra for serving
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Pasta and chicken
  • 280 g penne or rotini / 10 oz; dry
  • 340 g boneless skinless chicken breast / 12 oz; cut into 2 cm / 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt for the chicken
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper for the chicken
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt for the pasta water
  • 150 g cherry tomatoes / 1 cup; halved
  • 60 g baby spinach / 2 packed cups
  • 120 ml reserved pasta water / 1/2 cup

Method
 

  1. Set a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot of water over high heat, add 1 tbsp kosher salt and bring to a boil. While it heats, cut the chicken into 2 cm / 3/4-inch cubes and toss with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Halve the tomatoes, mince the garlic and grate the Parmesan.
  2. Add the cottage cheese, pesto, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp pepper to a blender. Blend on high for 60 seconds, scraping the jar once, until the sauce pours smoothly with no visible curds. Taste before adding any salt.
  3. Add the penne or rotini to the boiling water and cook for 9 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Scoop out 120 ml / 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
  4. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until browned and 165 F / 74 C in the thickest piece.
  5. Lower the skillet heat, add the tomatoes and spinach, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach wilts. Return the drained pasta to the empty pot, off the heat. Add the chicken mixture and the sauce, and toss for 1 minute, stirring in pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time until the sauce coats the pasta like loose cream. Serve right away with extra Parmesan.

Notes

  • Protein is about 40 g per serving: chicken 19 g, cottage cheese 9 g, pasta 9 g, Parmesan 3 g.
  • Taste the sauce before adding salt, since cottage cheese and Parmesan are already salty.
  • Keep the chicken in a single layer in the 30 cm skillet so it browns instead of steaming.
  • Nutrition numbers are estimates from standard ingredient data, so check your pesto and pasta labels.