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This variation of Marry Me Chicken Pasta is lightened up using high protein whipped cottage cheese to give you the same texture and taste, but without the heavy cream! It’s rich and delicious with a cheesy sun-dried tomato sauce and fresh spinach. It’s sure to become a dinner staple. The entire recipe also comes together in less than 30 minutes!
If anything gets my family excited for dinner, it’s a decadent creamy chicken dish! My reader favorite Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken made in the Instant Pot is a huge hit with the family, and one we make often. Recently, a reader told me she lightened up the recipe using cottage cheese in place of heavy cream, and it was a smashing success! Thank you to this lovely reader for this new recipe idea.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
I changed the name to Marry Me Chicken for this pasta, since this recipe with these ingredients closely resembles the trending dish! As a nutritionist, I love creating recipes with cottage cheese. The high protein content in cottage cheese makes it a fantastic addition, and you can also whip it until creamy so that it creates a similar texture to higher fat/low protein heavy cream or half and half.
So this pasta….I’ve added in some white wine just to kick up the dish to another level of fancy. The sauce is absolutely perfect, but also feels light on the digestive system. I offer a few substitutions for the white wine, and also brilliant ways to heat it up below!
Oh, and yes—it’s a high-protein recipe that supports your health goals without sacrificing taste. If you love creamy pasta dishes with a nutritious twist, be sure to check out my Creamy Green Goddess Orzo with Chicken or my High Protein Creamy Southwest Chicken Pasta — another protein-packed favorites that’s just as simple and delicious!
Ingredients to make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Here are the ingredients you need to make this healthier version of Marry Me Chicken Pasta:
- Chicken breast
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Smoked paprika and Italian seasoning
- Cottage cheese: I use low-fat as I think it creates better consistency when whipped!
- Dry white wine: use a sauvignon blanc or pinot Grigio. You can also substitute with all chicken broth.
- Chicken broth
- Garlic cloves
- Pasta: I used orichette, but you a use any pasta you prefer! Even a higher protein chickpea pasta.
- Sun-dried tomatoes marinated in oil (drain the marinade)
- Baby spinach leaves
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
How to make this dish
- Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat. Season the chicken with sea salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Once the pan is hot, add the oil then the chicken. Cook until chicken is browned and cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking, make the pasta according to package directions.
- Make the cottage cheese sauce. Combine cottage cheese, chicken broth, garlic, and wine into a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. This will take 1 – 2 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked, pour the cottage cheese sauce into the pan. Add sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add 1/2 of the parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until well combined and parmesan is melted. NOTE: I am updating this to add the pasta sauce AFTER tossing the chicken, pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. This will prevent any curdling of the cottage cheese.
- Toss in pasta. Serve hot with fresh parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
Tips and Adaptations
- As mentioned above, you can omit the wine and use only chicken broth. I love the addition of white wine that adds an element of depth to this dish.
- If you want to use something other than cottage cheese, I would recommend half and half to give it a creamy texture. Use only 1.5 cups of half and half, and add it to the skillet instead of the blender.
- For a dairy-free variation, use Kite Hill cream cheese or ricotta and omit the parmesan.
- The spinach can be omitted and fresh basil can be used just for serving.
- To make this recipe Gluten-Free, use a GF pasta like Banza.
Storing and Re-heating
You can store this recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days. I would not freeze, as the cottage cheese may separate. To re-heat, use a skillet and pour in some half and half or milk to give the recipe a smooth creamy texture.
Looking for an even easier chicken pasta dinner? Try my Dump and Bake Chicken Pasta Casserole with artichokes and peas where everything cooks together in one dish with no boiling required.
Lightened up Marry Me Chicken Pasta with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Chicken breast*
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil or olive oil
- 10 oz Pasta
- 2 cups Low-fat cottage cheese
- 2/3 cups Chicken broth
- 1/3 cup White wine**
- 2 cloves Garlic, , diced or minced
- 3/4 cup Marinated Sun-dried tomatoes, , oil drained
- 1.5 cups Fresh spinach
- 2/3 cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese , + more for serving
- 1/3 cup Chopped fresh basil for serving, (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Cut the raw chicken into pieces and sprinkle with a combination of paprika, Italian seasoning, and sea salt.
- Add the oil to the skillet, then bring the chicken to the skillet. Let cook for 6-8 minutes, not flipping the chicken pieces over for the first 4-5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions in a separate pot.
- Also while the chicken is cooking, make the cottage cheese sauce. Add the cottage cheese, wine, broth, and garlic to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may need to add a bit more broth if mixture is too thick. It should be able to easily pour, but thicker than heavy cream.
- Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, and remove from heat. Add the sauce and cooked pasta. Stir to combine away from the heat so the sauce doesn't break up.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese and basil to garnish (optional).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Planning to make this recipe soon but my partner doesn’t like sun-dried tomatoes. Can I just substitute a cup of fresh tomatoes, or roasted bell pepper, or can of diced or crushed tomatoes or a Tablespoon or two of tomato paste?
yes, absolutely!
The first time was a success and it was amazing, but the second time it curdled. How do I prevent that?
I am going to update the recipe. It might be best to pour the sauce into the pasta after everything is cooked to prevent that. I typically don’t have the curdling problem, but others have mentioned it.
The cottage cheese just separated once added. I’m guessing the heat is too much. I would suggest amending your recipe to add the sauce once off the heat and allowed to stop bubbling for a couple of minutes.
This is a good suggestion. I have not had that problem unless I am reheating leftovers, but you aren’t the only one that had this issue.
Quick, easy, and tasty recipe! I did not have fresh parmesean so I just used more cottage cheese and put some pre grated parm on top. Will be adding to my normal rotation!
So happy to hear that!