This creamy Chicken Alfredo is just 7 Smart Points per portion on Weight Watchers Freestyle plan. A fraction of the points of traditional Chicken Alfredo, this lightened up version will be one that you will make again and again.
For anyone who is following the WW Freestyle plan and misses big bowls of creamy pasta, this is the recipe for you! It’s a creamy Chicken Alfredo which consists of succulent chicken, pasta, a creamy sauce but also zucchini noodles to bulk it out, meaning you get a lot of ‘dish’ for your Smart Points!
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I do love pasta BUT …. it is quite high in Smart Points ….
… well, at least the huge bowls that I was used to eating prior to starting WW were high in Smart Points!
One thing that I have learnt is to bulk out pasta dishes with spiralized veg! That way I can eat big bowls of ‘pasta’ but for less Smart Points than if I just used pasta.
Whoever thought of spiralizing zucchini (courgette) is a bit of a genius.
The zucchini looks like pasta (except for the green bits!), has a similar texture to pasta if cooked properly (DO NOT boil 😀 ) but is zero Smart Points. It’s also pretty easy to prepare!
I’ve tried out a few different spiralizers, a couple of the small hand held ones and an electric one but this type, available from Amazon, is by far the best that I have used.
Of course, you could also buy ready made zucchini noodles. You can find them pre-packed in chiller compartments of most large supermarkets.
Chicken Alfredo Smart Points
Most Chicken Alfredo dishes are made with mountains of pasta, heavy whipping cream and lots of parmesan cheese. Traditional recipes work out at around 20 Smart Points per portion.
This recipe, however, has half the amount of pasta to most recipes & therefore the Smart Points are reduced. As explained above, it is bulked out with zucchini noodles which are zero Smart Points so you still get a big bowl of noodles!
For this recipe I also swapped the heavy whipping cream with a mixture of chicken stock, skimmed milk and light cream cheese. When reduced, this makes a lovely thick creamy sauce. I then add a little bit of parmesan cheese for added cheesiness!
Tips for Making WW Chicken Alfredo
- Make the zucchini noodles and set aside (picture 1)
- Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and season well with salt and pepper (picture 2)
- Heat the oil in a large skillet/frying pan over a medium heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken pieces and cook till sealed (pictures 3 & 4).
- You are not wanting to completely cook the chicken at this point, just seal it so that it remains succulent and doesn’t become tough or rubbery when cooked later on in the recipe.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken pieces from the skillet and set aside.
- There will still be oil left in the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped garlic to it and saute for a minute or two (picture 5)
- Add the chicken pieces back to the pan and add the milk and stock (picture 6)
- Bring to a simmer and add the pasta (picture 7).
- If using spaghetti or fettuccini, it is easiest to break it in half before adding it to the pan! However, if you like your pasta whole then just take a little time to ‘ease’ it down into the pan!
- Stir for a few minutes then gently simmer for 6 – 7 minutes, stirring every so often, till the pasta has softened to al dente and the sauce has reduced & is covering the pasta (picture 8).
- Turn down the heat to low and then stir in the cream cheese and zucchini noodles (picture 9). Cook for just 1 – 2 minutes, stirring so that all the noodles are covered in sauce.
- Do not cook for any longer than this or the zucchini noodles may become soggy.
- Divide between two bowls and sprinkle over a little parmesan cheese (optional).
Alternatives
- I will sometimes make this dish without adding the cream cheese & parmesan cheese which reduces the Smart Points by 1 point per serving.
- If you want to use butternut squash noodles, heat them in the microwave for 2 minutes before adding to the pasta & chicken (or see packet for cooking instructions).
Other Weight Watcher Pasta recipes!
If you like this recipe for Chicken Alfredo, you may also like these Weight Watchers friendly pasta recipes!
- Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup (4 Smart Points per portion)
- Pasta Bolognese Bake (9 Smart Points per portion)
- Fajita Pasta (6 Smart Points per portion)
Chicken Alfredo | Weight Watchers
This creamy Chicken Alfredo is just 7 Smart Points on Weight Watchers Freestyle plan. Tasty, filling & easy to make it's the perfect WW friendly dinner recipe for all pasta lovers!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - chopped
- Salt & pepper
- 175ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock
- 175ml (3/4 cup) skimmed milk
- 1 clove garlic - finely chopped
- 2 oz spaghetti or fettuccini
- 2 medium zucchini / courgettes - spiralized
- 1 tbsp light cream cheese
- 2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into bitesize pieces and season well with salt & pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large non stick skillet over a medium heat.
- Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and use tongs to turn until all sides are sealed and have turned from pink to white. The purpose of this is to seal the chicken so that it doesn't become tough or rubbery when cooked later *
- Use the tongs to remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the pan (there will still be plenty of oil left in the bottom of the pan) and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and skimmed milk, stir and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and then add the pasta. It may be easier to snap the pasta in half before adding it to the pan, but if you like your spaghetti long, then just take a little time easing it into the pan.
- Stir for 2 - 3 minutes then allow to gently simmer for 6 - 7 minutes more, stirring every now and again, until the liquid has reduced.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the light cream cheese and then toss in the spiralized zucchini. Stir for 1 - 2 minutes until everything is covered in sauce and the zuchinni has warmed through.
- Do not cook for longer than this or the zucchini may become soggy.
- Divide between two bowls and top with the parmesan cheese.
Notes
* Please note that the chicken pieces are sealed and are then added to the rest of the dish to cook for a further 8 - 10 minutes. This ensures that the chicken stays succulent & does not dry out or become rubbery. The timings have been worked on chicken pieces that have been chopped into bite size chunks. It is important to check that the chicken is cooked through before serving especially if you have used larger chunks then recommended.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 584Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 545mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 55g
Please be aware that the nutritional information above has been automatically generated and does not account for variations in product brands and types, weights of individual ingredients etc. It should therefore be considered as an estimate. PointedKitchen.com has calculated Weight Watchers Smart Points based on the individual ingredients used to make this recipe and not from the following nutritional information. PointedKitchen.com is not responsible for any loss or damage relating to your reliance on this nutritional information.
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