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If you love buffalo chicken dip, you are going to love this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Pasta with hidden veggies! We took all the flavors of your favorite dip to create this pasta dinner with creamy buffalo sauce.
It’s a one pot meal that your whole family will enjoy and it’s even better the next day, making this simple recipe perfect for meal prep.
You’ll find two different ways to cook this buffalo pasta and they can both be done and on the dinner table in less than 30 minutes! This is the perfect comfort food for wing lovers, and a great way to get veggies into picky eaters.
Where’s the recipe?
Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to make our recipes easy for all of our readers to follow. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or have been cooking all your life, we want you to be able to easily recreate our recipes.
In this post you’ll find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, helpful tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you want to skip past all that, you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print recipe card for stovetop or Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta.
Ingredients in Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Olive oil
- Chicken breast: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into small pieces so they cook evenly.
- Garlic: I use garlic powder, but minced garlic would work well too.
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Dill (dried)
- Parsley (dried)
- Cauliflower: cauliflower is low in calories, high in fiber, and packed full of nutrients. Once it’s cooked and blended into the creamy wing sauce, you can’t even taste it.
- Frank’s hot sauce: make sure you get the original Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, and not Buffalo.
- Cottage cheese: it might seem strange, but trust me on this one – you can’t taste it. I love using cottage cheese in place of cream cheese since it contains less fat and fewer calories, and once it’s blended you can’t tell the difference anyway.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream. It’s got a high protein content and helps to create a creamy, cheesy pasta sauce for this recipe.
- Shredded cheese: I use cheddar cheese, but shredded mozzarella cheese or sharp cheddar cheese would work well too.
- Brown rice flour: this gluten free option helps to thicken the sauce. You can use regular flour, too, if that’s all you have.
- Whole wheat pasta: nutrition facts are calculated using whole wheat penne pasta, but you can use whatever you prefer. Gluten free pasta would be a perfect option if you’re making this for someone with gluten allergies.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Pasta in the Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned.
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dill, and parsley to the pot. Mix up the chicken so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Add the cauliflower to the Instant Pot and cover with the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as your liquid for this recipe. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
- Cook the chicken and cauliflower on high pressure using the manual setting for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 6-10 minutes before manually releasing it. This means that after the pot is done cooking, allow it to sit without touching it for 6-10 minutes. The contents will still be cooking. After that time, move the Sealing valve to the Vent position and allow the steam to come out.
- While the chicken and cauliflower are cooking, set a large pot on the stove, over high heat, to boil. Dump the uncooked pasta into the boiling water and follow the package directions to cook the pasta noodles to al dente.
- In a high speed blender, mix together the contents of your pot, then add in the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to create a creamy sauce.
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then add the cheese and brown rice flour. Blend until all melted together, then pour the sauce over cooked whole wheat pasta.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Pasta on the stove
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stove and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until it is browned.
- Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and cauliflower to the skillet. Mix it up so the cauliflower is covered in hot sauce. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low heat.
- Allow the cauliflower and chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is very tender.
- While the chicken and cauliflower are cooking, set a large pot on the stove, over high heat, to boil. Dump the uncooked pasta into the boiling water and follow the package directions to cook the pasta noodles to al dente.
- Blend together the contents of the pan, then add the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to make the sauce.
- Once the sauce is blended, add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour into the blender until it all melts together. Serve on top of whole wheat pasta.
Recipe Tips
This is a great meal for easy meal prep!
- Leftover buffalo chicken pasta can be stored in the refrigerator, in individual portions, and then be reheated in the microwave for a quick lunch.
- The sauce also freezes well. Sometimes I will double the recipe to make extra buffalo sauce, then store it in the freezer in an airtight container. When I’m ready to use it, I thaw it in the fridge and then heat in the microwave. Here’s a little trick: freeze the sauce in a thin single layer for quicker thawing.
- Some great options for toppings include green onions, blue cheese crumbles, red pepper flakes, or diced bell pepper.
- If you want to make this into a healthy buffalo chicken pasta bake, place the pasta with sauce into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs, then set the dish under the broiler for a few minutes for it to crisp up.
Healthy Eating Plans
21 Day Fix
Entire recipe: 6 Red Containers, 4 Green Containers, 1 teaspoon, 4 Blue Containers, 16 1/2 Yellow Containers
Per serving: 3/4 Red Container, 1/2 Green Container, 1/2 Blue Container, 2 Yellow Containers, negligible teaspoons
Weight Watchers
On the new 2023 Weight Watchers Plan, this counts as 4 points when using fat free Greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, and fat free shredded cheese.
More healthy recipes
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Broth
- Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- Easy & Delicious Game Day Recipes
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Buffalo Chicken Pasta with Hidden Veggies Recipe
Servings 8 people
This easy buffalo chicken pasta recipe is a family favorite in my house, and is a great addition to your weekly meal rotation. This pasta dish is topped with a protein packed spicy buffalo sauce and can be cooked in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Vitamix Blender
- Enameled Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dill dried
- ½ tsp parsley dried
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¾ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- 1 box whole wheat pasta about 4 cups
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned. 1 tsp olive oil 1 lb chicken breast
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dill, and parsley to the pot. Mix up the chicken so that the seasoning is evenly distributed. 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp dill 1/2 tsp parsley
- Add the cauliflower to the Instant Pot and cover with the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as your liquid for this recipe. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 head cauliflower 3/4 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- Cook the chicken and cauliflower on high pressure using the manual setting for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 6-10 minutes before manually releasing it.
- While the chicken and cauliflower are cooking, set a large pot on the stove, over high heat, to boil. Dump the uncooked pasta into the boiling water and follow the package directions to cook the pasta noodles to al dente. 1 box whole wheat pasta
- In a high speed blender, mix together the contents of your pot, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to create a creamy sauce. 3/4 cup cottage cheese 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then add the cheese and brown rice flour. Blend until all melted together, then pour the sauce over cooked whole wheat pasta. 1 cup cheddar cheese 2 tbsp brown rice flour
Stovetop Directions
- Heat a large skillet on the stove and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until it is browned.
- Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and cauliflower to the skillet. Mix it up so the cauliflower is covered in hot sauce. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low heat.
- Allow the cauliflower and chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is very tender.
- While the chicken and cauliflower are cooking, set a large pot on the stove, over high heat, to boil. Dump the uncooked pasta into the boiling water and follow the package directions to cook the pasta noodles to al dente.
- Blend together the contents of the pan, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to make the sauce.
- Add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour into the blender until it all melts together. Serve on top of whole wheat pasta.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
This is a great meal for easy meal prep!
- Leftover buffalo chicken pasta stored in the refrigerator in individual portions and can then be reheated in the microwave for a quick lunch.
- The sauce also freezes well. Sometimes I will double the recipe to make extra buffalo sauce, then store it in the freezer in an airtight container. When I’m ready to use it, I thaw it in the fridge and then heat in the microwave. Here’s a little trick: freeze the sauce in a thin single layer for quicker thawing.
- Some great options for toppings include green onions, blue cheese crumbles, red pepper flakes, or diced bell pepper.
- If you want to make this into a healthy buffalo chicken pasta bake, place the pasta with sauce into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs, then set the dish under the broiler for a few minutes for it to crisp up.
Nutrition
Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.2g | Protein: 28.1g | Fat: 9.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1042mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 3.6g | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 2mg
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