Marry me chicken

Nutrition content per serve*

Energy: 489 calories (2,045kJ) | Protein: 44g | Carb: 26g | Sugar: 8g | Total fat: 17g | Sat fat: 6g | Fibre: 12g | Serves: 4 | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vetta smart protein plus pasta or San Remo pulse pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 500g chicken breast fillets, cubed
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 220ml light cooking cream
• 200ml salt-reduced chicken stock  
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 50g grated parmesan
• 120g baby spinach
• ½ cup mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup broccoli, diced 

Serve with*: 

• Fresh basil
• Wilted spinach 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions. Drain water once ready and set aside.
2. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Toss to evenly coat the chicken.
3. In a large pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, cook onion and garlic until softened. Add the chicken and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Bring the heat to low and add tomato paste, cooking cream, broth, sundried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and broccoli. Stir to combine and cook on low until sauce is heated through.
5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese into the pan and stir to melt.
6. In a bowl serve up your pasta, add the chicken mixture and top with fresh basil. 

Chef’s tips:

• If using pulse pasta, remove the pasta earlier from water to prevent it from getting mushy

• For a lower fat, higher protein alternative for light cooking cream, you can use low fat, high protein cottage cheese. One extra step is to blitz it in a blender to remove lumps before adding into the pan

• To increase the veggies, you can add any veggies in your fridge that need to be used up e.g. zucchini, capsicum
• You can accompany the marry me chicken with our Health Hub chickpea chopped salad or cucumber salad with lemon yoghurt dressing instead of pasta for a lower-carb option.

Why it’s good for you: 

• Packed with protein and fibre to keep you fuller for longer
• Spinach is a great source of plant-based iron
• Using lean cuts of protein i.e. chicken breast and healthy fats i.e. olive oil. 

* Approximate values from Xyris Foodworks software. Does not include ‘serve with’ ingredients. 

All information contained in this recipe has been prepared by CBHS health professionals and is intended for general information purposes only. The information provided should not be relied upon as medical advice and does not supersede or replace a consultation with a suitably qualified healthcare professional.