My Healthy Chicken Primavera Recipe is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes. Loaded with veggies and lean protein, it’s a great all-in-one meal. I love how I can customize this with different vegetables for the different seasons, and to fit my picky eaters tastes buds. It’s such a light, but creamy recipe you are going to fall in love with it!
For another light but a creamy option, you will love my avocado pasta recipe with zoodles and a delicious sauce!
Healthy Chicken Primavera Pasta
Any recipe that has tons of vegetables automatically gets a huge thumbs up from me. In my effort to not only live a healthier lifestyle but to teach it to my children and family, vegetables are at the center. There is nothing better for you to eat than a bright colorful vegetable. So, this chicken primavera is definitely a top recipe on my regular meal plan. The combination of chicken and veggies makes me happy, and the pasta with creamy sauce makes it a perfect comfort-food meal.
Another of my favorite meals with tons of vegetables is my balsamic chicken with roasted vegetables. I know you’ll love this combination as much as I do!
What’s in pasta primavera?
Pasta Primavera is a creamy pasta dish loaded with fresh vegetables. Traditionally, this has a thick creamy sauce, but in my lightened version the sauce is still delicious and creamy but has half the fat and calories.
Common vegetables seen in this recipe are broccoli, peppers, carrots, peas, and cauliflower.
What’s primavera sauce?
When making pasta primavera or in this case chicken primavera, there are a variety of sauces that can be used. Some people choose to use the pasta cooking water to create a very light sauce but we choose to make an alfredo sauce. You can use my light Alfredo sauce recipe for this meal and have amazing results.
Variations to Chicken Primavera
When following a recipe there are a lot of ways to change things up and create a different taste even with the same basic ingredients.
- Change up the veggies. Instead of using broccoli and peppers, add eggplant and squash. These are often used in a traditional pasta primavera and will taste delicious with this primavera sauce.
- Mix in spinach. Spinach is another possible vegetable to add to this dish.
- Use Rotisserie Chicken. If you are running short on time or just want to try a different style of chicken, rotisserie chicken is a great choice.
Is Pasta Primavera vegan?
While this chicken primavera recipe is not a vegan dish, it can easily be turned into a vegan pasta primavera.
To make this a vegan pasta primavera recipe, do not use real chicken, but feel free to add in “chickn” or other fake protein options. Also, when creating the sauce you will need to use a dairy-free version of the milk, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese.
If finding the substitutes are difficult or just unwanted, create a lighter version of this dish and use the pasta cooking water with nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast resembles parmesan cheese.
Is Pasta Primavera served hot or cold?
Traditional pasta primavera can be served hot or cold, though generally it is served hot. With chicken primavera, you will want to serve this dish hot. When using my alfredo sauce in this recipe, it is definitely better served warm. Top with a bit of extra shredded parmesan for added flavor right before serving.
Ingredients
- chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- angel hair pasta
- broccoli florets
- red bell pepper
- Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
- butter
- white whole wheat flour
- milk
- cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
How to Make Chicken Primavera
Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center but still juicy, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate to rest.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, drain and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the same skillet used for the chicken, and sauté the broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
Follow the directions below for making alfredo sauce, or use my light alfredo sauce recipe instead.
Slice the chicken diagonally in thin strips. Return the chicken and vegetables to the skillet and toss to combine. Transfer the pasta to the chicken and vegetables to the skillet. Coat the chicken and vegetables evenly with the Alfredo sauce and add the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce reaches the desired consistency before serving. Serve warm.
The Best Creamy Chicken Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces high-protein angel hair pasta
- 2 cups broccoli florets cooked
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 8-ounce container baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
- Alfredo Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
- 1½ cups fat-free milk
- 4 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the chicken is no loner pink in the center but still juicy, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate to rest.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, drain and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the same skillet used for the chicken, and sauté the broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
- To make the Alfredo sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk the flour into the butter for about 30 seconds, until smooth and the mixture smells nutty, making a roux. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan. Stir the Alfredo sauce frequently, until it is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Slice the chicken diagonally in thin strips. Return the chicken and vegetables to the skillet and toss to combine.
- Transfer the pasta to the chicken and vegetables to the skillet. Coat the chicken and vegetables evenly with the Alfredo sauce and add the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce reaches a desired consistency before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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