Chicken Alfredo Pasta

• 130 g Low-fat cottage cheese (4.6 oz)
• 50 g Nonfat milk (¼ cup)
• 15 g Parmesan, grated (3 tbsp)
• 1 liter, for boiling Water (about 4 cups, for boiling)
• 1 g Salt (⅛ tsp)
• 75 g dry Pasta (fettuccine or penne) (2.6 oz dry)
• 170 g raw Chicken breast (6.0 oz raw)
• 0.3 g Black pepper (⅛ tsp)
• 4 g Olive oil (1 tsp)
• 5 g raw (1½ cloves) Garlic

You'll need: Blender, Large saucepan, Colander, Large frying pan, Tongs, Mug, Cutting board and knife.

Method

1. Blend the sauce

   Blend the cottage cheese, milk and Parmesan for 45–60 seconds, until completely smooth and pourable, like heavy cream.

   Keep blending until there's no graininess left. That's what makes it taste like real Alfredo.

2. Boil the pasta

   Bring the water to a boil with most of the salt. Add the pasta and cook for the time on the package, until tender with a slight bite. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water, then drain.

   Bite a piece a minute before the package time. It should have no hard white center.

3. Cook the chicken and garlic

   While the pasta cooks, slice the chicken into thin strips and season with the pepper and the last pinch of salt. Then scrub the board, knife and your hands with soap before you touch anything else. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden and 74°C (165°F) inside. Mince the garlic and stir it in for the last 30 seconds.

   Cut one of the thickest strips open. No pink and clear juices means it's done.

4. Toss it together

   Turn the heat to low. Add the pasta and the sauce to the chicken and toss with tongs for 1–2 minutes, until hot and glossy. Add a splash of the pasta water if it looks thick.

   Keep it below a simmer. Boiling makes the cottage cheese sauce grainy.

Swaps

• Chicken breast → Raw peeled shrimpCooks in 3–4 minutes. Take it off as soon as it's pink and opaque.
• Pasta → High-protein lentil pastaAdds about 8 g of protein. Cook it 1–2 minutes less; it goes soft fast.