Cottage Cheese Pesto Chicken Pasta

• 18 g raw Fresh basil (¾ cup chopped)
• 18 g Parmesan, grated (3⅔ tbsp)
• 5 g raw (1½ cloves) Garlic
• 12 g Almonds (0.4 oz)
• 120 g Low-fat cottage cheese (4.2 oz)
• 9 g Olive oil (⅔ tbsp)
• 1 liter, for boiling Water (about 4 cups, for boiling)
• 1.5 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 70 g dry Pasta (penne or fusilli) (2.5 oz dry)
• 180 g raw Chicken breast (6.3 oz raw)
• 0.3 g Black pepper (⅛ tsp)
• 80 g raw Tomato (2.8 oz raw)

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

Method

1. Blend the pesto

   Put the basil, Parmesan, garlic, almonds, cottage cheese and a third of the oil in the blender. Blend for 45–60 seconds, scraping down once, until a thick, creamy green sauce with no big curds.

   Scrape the sides down once. Cottage cheese curds hide there and leave the sauce lumpy.

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. Sear the chicken

   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 rest of 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, with no pink.

   Cut open the thickest strip to check. Clear juices and white meat mean it's done.

4. Toss with the pesto and tomato

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

   Keep the heat low. A hard boil splits the cottage cheese sauce into grainy bits.

Swaps

• Almonds → Sunflower seedsNut-free, with a similar creaminess and crunch.
• Pasta → High-protein lentil pastaAdds about 8 g of protein. Cook it 1–2 minutes less; it goes soft fast.