This Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a delicious and easy weeknight meal that your entire family will love! I’ve altered this popular dish to be a healthy, WW recipe without sacrificing the creamy and indulgent pasta dish.
Where’s the recipe?
I have readers of all skill levels in the kitchen. To better serve everyone, I include a ton of helpful tips and information. If you would like to get right to the recipe and skip these tips, please scroll to the bottom where you’ll find the easy to print recipe card.
Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You can swap out the sun-dried tomatoes with fresh grape tomatoes cut in half.
- Seasonings & Spices: For this pasta dish, I chose Italian herbs, lots of minced garlic, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
- Chicken: While I prefer Chicken, you can substitute with turkey and keep your points relatively low.
- Whole Wheat Pasta: Whole Wheat uses the entire grain. It is less processed and takes more energy for your body to break down.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I prefer to use broth in recipes as opposed to just water. If you don’t have broth on hand, just use equal parts of water.
- Fat free cottage cheese and fat free Greek yogurt: When blended together, this combination is seriously life changing when it comes to healthy cooking! This mixture replicates heavy cream while adding protein and keeping the points and calories down.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach adds a ton of vitamins and beautiful color to this dish.
- Fresh basil: I adore the flavor of fresh basil!
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a slightly salty and nutty flavor. Grab a wedge of fresh and grate it yourself.
Recipe Tips
- Cut your chicken into one-inch cubes or ½ inch thick slices so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
- If you’re using dried basil, you only need 1 tsp. Make sure and add it during step one along with the rest of the spices.
- For meal prep, cook per the instructions and refrigerate or freeze in individual serving size containers.
Instant Pot Instructions
Time needed: 17 minutes.
Time needed doesn’t include the time it takes for your pot to come. to pressure, as that can vary so much based on your altitude and pot.
- Sauté
Lightly spray your pot with cooking spray and set Instant Pot to sauté. Once your pot is hot add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning salt, and pepper. Cook until just fragrant using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add your chicken
Brown chicken on all sides for 3-5 minutes. This will prevent chicken from sticking together when under pressure.
- Add your pasta
Add your whole wheat noodles and chicken broth to the pot. Stir and pat down pasta, making sure the pasta is mostly covered in liquid.
If you need to add more water/broth, you can do so now. Be sure to drain and extra water before adding more ingredients. - Pressure Cook
Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 3 minutes.
- Make your cream sauce
While the pasta is cooking, blend the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese together until smooth and set aside.
- Quick Release
When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure by moving the black valve on your pot from Sealing to Venting. When it’s done releasing pressure, remove the lid.
Drain any extra liquid in your pot. - Stir in spinach
Add spinach and fresh basil to the pot and stir until the leaves have wilted, then drain the excess liquid from the pot.
- Add your sauce
Add the parmesan, blended yogurt and cottage cheese, and stir gently until evenly mixed.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Lightly spray a skillet with cooking oil, then add your tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes until the chicken no longer sticks together.
- Place all of the contents of your skillet into your crockpot, and add your chicken broth.
- Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of the cook time, stir in your noodles, and make sure all the pasta is covered in liquid. If you need to add more liquid, do so now.
- Once the cook time is complete, drain any excess liquid and add your spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, and add the mixture to the Crockpot.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Stovetop Instructions
- Lightly spray a large skillet or pot with cooking oil, then add your tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes until the chicken no longer sticks together.
- Add your pasta and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir and make sure all the noodles are covered. Once the broth begins to boil, cover your skillet and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add your spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted, then drain any excess liquid from the pan.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, and add to the pan.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Weight Watchers Points
This recipe makes 6 equal servings (approximately 1 1/2 cup servings). Each serving counts as 7 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points. Remember, Blue Points are the old Freestyle points program.
Divide the recipe into 6 equal servings for your most accurate portion size–especially if you use different shaped pasta, as they all grow to a different size when cooked.
Do you have more WW dinners?
You bet! In additions to this creamy recipe, there are a ton of delicious Weight Watchers recipes , including a ton of Weight Watchers pasta recipes, here at My Crazy Good Life:
Weight Watchers Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl (Southwest version!)
- Weight Watchers Swedish Meatballs
- Weight Watchers Chicken Alfredo – a delicious pasta dish!
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Healthy White Chicken Chili
Weight Watchers Crockpot Recipes:
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Weight Watchers Beef Stroganoff
- Crockpot Jambalaya
- Drunken Noodles Crockpot Recipe
- Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brown Rice Pudding
Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth one cup for crock pot and stove top
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes without oil, or you can use halved grape tomatoes
- ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 lbs chicken breast diced into 1-inch cubes
- 12 oz whole wheat pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¾ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup fat-free cottage cheese
- ⅔ cup parmesan grated
- ¼ cup fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Lightly spray your pot with cooking spray and set Instant Pot to sauté. Once your pot is hot add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning salt, and pepper. Cook until just fragrant using a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent sticking.
- Brown chicken on all sides for 3-5 minutes. This will prevent chicken from sticking together when under pressure.
- Add your whole wheat noodles and chicken broth to the pot. Stir and make sure all of the pasta is pushed below the liquid.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 3 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, blend the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese together until smooth and set aside.
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure, and remove the lid. Drain extra liquid, if necessary.
- Add spinach and fresh basil to the pot and stir until the leaves have wilted, then drain the excess liquid from the pot.
- Add the parmesan, blended yogurt and cottage cheese, and stir until evenly mixed.
Slow Cooker
- Lightly spray a skillet with cooking oil, add your tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes until chicken no longer sticks together.
- Place all of the contents of your skillet into your crockpot, and add your chicken broth.
- Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of the cook time, stir in your noodles, and make sure all the pasta is covered in liquid. If you need to add more liquid, so so now.
- Once the cook time is complete, add your spinach and basil Stir until spinach is wilted. Drain the excess liquid from the pot.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, and add to the pot.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Stovetop
- Lightly spray a large skillet or pot with cooking oil, add your tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes until chicken no longer sticks together.
- Add your pasta and chicken broth to the skillet, stir and make sure all the noodles are covered. Once the broth begins to boil, cover your skillet and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add your spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, and add to the pan.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Video
Notes
- 7 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points
- Cut your chicken into one-inch cubes or ½ inch thick slices so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
- You can substitute the sun-dried tomatoes with fresh grape tomatoes. Just cut them in half and sauté in step one below.
- If you’re using dried basil you will only need 1 tsp. Make sure and add it during step one along with the rest of the spices.
- For meal prep, cook per the instructions and refrigerate or freeze in individual serving size containers.
Using the stove top method when you cook the chicken do you leave everything in the skillet? I mane do you cook the chicken and then add the broth and the pasta or do yoiu take the chicken out and add back in? Thanks looks good going to try tonight!
Hi Patty,
You’ll only want to sauté the cubed chicken until browned on all sides, then add the broth and pasta to the skillet with the chicken still in there. My family loves this recipe – hope you do too!
I have made this several times stove top method. My hubby and I both loved it. I’d like to make this tonight but have no spinach. I have kale and am wondering if anyone has tried this recipe using kale?
Haven’t tried Kale in the recipe, but I have subbed kale for spinach in many others and it’s a great sub. Hope it worked out.
what type of Parmesan are u supposed to use? Thanks in advance
Whatever kind you have in your fridge! I try to buy fresh when I can and grate it :)
This was so yummy and extremely filling!
This was really delicious!! I had never made pasta in the instant pot so I was slightly worried when the broth didn’t cover the pasta so I added like a quarter cup more broth. DON’T do that!! Trust the recipe! Lol. Mine was a bit watery because of that but still very good. Definitely will make again.
Thanks, Brittany! Next time a recipe has a little too much water, use a turkey baster to suction it out after it’s done cooking! It works perfectly :)
Hey! Do you add the greek yogurt and cottage cheese mix cold? so you just blend them together cold too?
Worried it will taste like cottage cheese which I am not a fan of but it looks delicious!
Hey Fiona! Yes, I blend them and add them cold–the two of them together cancel each other out and you end up tasting the creaminess, not the cottage cheese or Greek yogurt! :)
I added the 3 cups of low sodium chicken broth and it way to soupy. But the taste is still wonderful. My husband said this is a keeper. Thank you for sharing 😊
Hi Trina! I just added a few lines to make the directions more clear in the post and the printable recipe – I’m sorry yours was watery! It’s supposed to be 1 cup of chicken broth for the crockpot and stovetop versions :)
SO glad you liked this!! <3
This was amazing! I made it exactly as directed, and honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for it because of the Greek yogurt and the cottage cheese. I was so wrong! The whole family loved it. I can’t wait to have it tomorrow for lunch!
Isn’t it crazy? I didn’t believe it until I did it for the first time and now that is my go to combination for creamy recipes!
Hi there! This looks delicious! Question though…where were you able to find the oil free sun dried tomatoes? Having a hard time finding them. Thanks!!
I found them at Fry’s, but you can drain the oil and dry them off with a paper towel or even use halved cheery or grape tomatoes!
I got my sun dried tomato’s without oil at Walmart.
Found them by the canned tomatoes at Kroger
Very good! Hubby & son loved it too! Quick and easy in the instant pot. Thanks for sharing!
HOw do i record this on my WW ap? it’s telling me its 14 points.
If you’re using different brands that I used your points might be different :)
Is the nutrition facts for one serving or the whole recipe?
Nutrition facts are for one serving :)
This was so amazing. I have a wheat allergy so I used GF pasta and it was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was very good. I wanted to add less chicken broth according to the recipe, but I forgot. I drained 1 cup., I had a hard time draining the pot because it was heavy and didn’t want the pasta to fall out. I did use a strainer inside the pot, but still worried about spilling the pasta out. So next time I will add only 2 3/4 cup of broth. OH, also I made the recipe for 8 servings. I wanted left overs.
I definitely is a keeper. My husband and mother-in-law loved it. It was so easy and quick in my ninja instant pot. Love it.
Two quick questions, using grape tomatoes will that make a huge difference in the taste?
If I buy sun dried tomatoes in oil can I simply rinse them? Thank you!
Lisa
Hi Lisa!
1. Nope, I actually prefer the grape tomatoes because they taste a little fresher. 2. Yes! Just rinse and use :)
I just made this and it is absolutely amazing! I used chickpea pasta, extra sun dried tomato’s, less chicken and spinach. I also added almost 2 cups of peas to help bulk it up since I used less chicken and spinach. This is the best recipe I’ve made in a LONG time! I’m going to have to try your other recipes!
When you put the nutrition info into the app, it comes out at 14 points per serving.
Hi Willy! This depends on your myWW plan, and of course the specific ingredients you put in. When I calculated it for each plan, I used the ingredients I listed. It’s always best to recalculate with what is in your kitchen for the most accuracy in points :)
So I’m making this right now but 1 cup of liquid to cook 12 ounces of pasta? I covered it and everything f and the pasta was nowhere Near done I had to keep adding 😭 I wonder what I did wrong
Hi there! Are you using the crockpot instructions? I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you–I’d definitely add some more liquid if you need to. How big is your crockpot? Maybe that is it?