Chicken Pasta Primavera – Skinnytaste

One-Pot, Creamy Chicken Pasta Primavera made with lean chicken breast, spring veggies, and a light cream sauce. A delicious, high-protein dinner idea!

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Primavera means “spring” in Italian, so I thought the name for this high-protein pasta dish was fitting since it’s made with spring asparagus, leeks, artichokes, and peas. The creamy sauce is made with cream cheese and parmesan cheese blended with a little milk, and each portion has a generous amount of veggies and chicken with 30 grams of protein per serving. It’s delicious, I hope you enjoy! For more primavera recipes, try this Risotto Primavera and Spaghetti Squash Primavera.

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This:

• Chicken Primavera Sauce: I used a combo of milk, Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese and 1/3-less fat cream cheese to make the cream sauce light, with no heavy cream.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into half-inch pieces adds protein.
• Seasoning: Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper, or use your favorite seasoning.
• Asparagus: Trim the tough ends off and cut into one-inch pieces.
• Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth to make the primavera sauce.
• Pasta: I used bow tie pasta but any other small shape, like orecchiette or rotini will work. Gluten-free pasta will also work.
• Leeks: Thoroughly clean 2 leeks to ensure you’ve removed all the dirt, and then thinly slice the white and light green parts.
• Artichokes: I used canned artichoke hearts, drained.
• Peas: Use fresh or frozen. You don’t need to thaw the frozen peas.
• Basil adds freshness and garnishes the dish.

How to Make Chicken Pasta Primavera

1. Creamy Primavera Sauce: Blend the milk, grated cheese, and cream cheese in a blender.
2. Chicken: Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat a large pot over high heat, spray it with oil, and add the chicken. Cook until the bottoms brown, flip over, and cook for another few minutes. Then transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Pasta: Add a splash of broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the remaining broth with the cream cheese mixture, pasta, and leeks. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally to help the pasta cook evenly. Once the
   pasta is al dente and there isn’t much liquid left, it’s ready.
4. Vegetables: Stir in the asparagus and artichokes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken, any of the juices that accumulated, and the peas. Cook for 30 seconds until the peas are warmed.
5. How to Serve: Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Serve with more grated cheese.

Variations

• Protein: Substitute chicken with shrimp. Or omit to keep it vegetarian.
• Seasoning: If you don’t have Cajun seasoning, use onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.
• Broth: Swap chicken broth with vegetable broth.
• Herbs: Replace basil with chives or tarragon.

What to Serve with Pasta Primavera

This healthy chicken pasta primavera is a complete meal, loaded with veggies and protein. If you’re serving it to a big group and want to stretch it to serve more people, pair it with a green salad and some crusty bread.

Storage

Store leftover pasta primavera for up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the pasta in the refrigerator and then microwave until warm.

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