This site contains affiliate links. Please see Policies for more information.
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.
This is one of my most popular recipes on the site, and for good reason. If you’re looking for more Weight Watchers dinner recipes, I recommend trying this WW Egg Roll in a Bowl, this Weight Watchers Goulash, or these Weight Watchers Swedish Meatballs.
Why I Love This Pasta Recipe
This is one of my favorite Weight Watchers dinner recipes because it’s lower in points but also filling and satisfying enough to curb even the strongest creamy pasta craving!
Craving pasta but can’t do pasta? I get that! When I’m really trying to keep my points down but want nothing but a bowl of noodles, this Healthy Chicken Lo Mein uses zucchini noodles or zoodles in place of the pasta.
Enjoy!
– Becca
Ingredients in WW Tuscan Chicken
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
- Whole Wheat Pasta: Pasta made from whole grains is lower in calories and carbs, as well as higher in fiber and most micronutrients.
- Fat free cottage cheese and fat free Greek yogurt: When blended together, this combination replicates heavy cream while adding protein and keeping your points down. To keep this a Weight Watchers friendly recipe, use fat free.
- Spinach: Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K, and full of fiber, calcium, and iron.
Instant Pot Instructions
Step 1: Lightly spray the pot with olive oil or cooking spray and set to sauté. Once the pot is hot, add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the cubed chicken to the pot, and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. This will prevent your chicken from clumping together while it’s under pressure. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, add the chicken broth.
Want to Save This Recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 3: Add the pasta to the pot and stir well, ensuring that all noodles are below the liquid.
Step 4: Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the time for 3 minutes.
While your chicken is cooking, blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese together until smooth, then set aside.
Step 5: When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
Stir the contents of the pot. Drain any excess liquid from the pot, keeping aside 1/4 cup.
Add the 1/4 cup liquid to the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture and stir well.
Add the spinach and fresh basil to the pot and stir until the leaves have wilted.
Step 6: Allow the recipe to cool for a few minutes so the dairy doesn’t curdle.
Add the blended yogurt, cottage cheese, and parmesan mixture to the pot and stir gently until evenly mixed.
Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil.
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. Add it during step one along with the rest of the spices.
- Blending the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together in a blender will remove the chunks from the cottage cheese and reduce the tang from the Greek yogurt. A blender or food processor is important in this recipe, otherwise your finished recipe will have chunks in it and taste a little more like Greek yogurt.
Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta FAQs
Yes! For meal prep, cook per the instructions and then refrigerate or freeze in individual serving size containers.
I calculate points based on the ingredients that I use, not by nutrition information. This is the most accurate way to count, as stated by Weight Watchers.
I like to pair this pasta dish with vegetables like this Air Fry Frozen Broccoli, this Eggplant Air Fryer Recipe, or these Carrot French Fries.
Weight Watchers Points
Each serving counts as 5 Points using fat free parmesan, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.
Divide the recipe into 6 equal servings for your most accurate portion size–especially if you use different shaped pasta, as they all expand to a different size when cooked.
Weight Watchers Pasta Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta or any other recipe on my site please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Want to Save This Recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Kitchen Knife
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes without oil, or you can use halved grape tomatoes
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 3 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs chicken breast diced into 1-inch cubes
- 12 oz whole wheat pasta
- 3 cups chicken broth fat free, 1 cup only for Crockpot method.
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt fat-free plain
- ¾ cup cottage cheese fat-free
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese grated, fat free
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Lightly spray the pot with cooking spray and press the sauté button. Once your pot is hot, add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook until just fragrant using a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent sticking. ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes 1 tbsp garlic 3 tbsp Italian seasoning ¼ tsp black pepper
- Add chicken to the pot. Brown chicken on all sides for 3-5 minutes. 2 lbs chicken breast
- Add the whole wheat noodles and chicken broth to the pot. Stir and make sure all of the pasta is pushed below the liquid. 12 oz whole wheat pasta 3 cups chicken broth
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, blend the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese together until smooth and set aside. ¾ cup Greek yogurt ¾ cup cottage cheese ⅔ cup parmesan cheese
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Stir the contents of the pot. Drain any excess liquid from the pot, keeping aside 1/4 cup. Add the 1/4 cup liquid to the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture and stir well.
- Add spinach and fresh basil to the pot and stir until the leaves have wilted. Allow the pasta to cool for a minute or two so the dairy doesn't curdle. 2 cups baby spinach 2 tbsp fresh basil
- Add the Greek yogurt mixture, then stir until mixed. Serve immediately.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Lightly spray a large skillet or pot with cooking oil, then add tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Next, add cubed chicken to the skillet and brown for 1-2 minutes until chicken no longer sticks together.
- Add the pasta and chicken broth to the skillet, stir, and make sure all the noodles are just covered. Once the noodles are covered, set the remaining broth aside. 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 spinach and basil. Stir until the spinach is wilted. Drain any excess liquid from the pan, but reserve 1/4 cup in case you need it later.
- Blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese until smooth, then add to the pan.
- Stir in the additional pasta water if needed, and serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Crockpot Instructions
- Lightly spray a large skillet with cooking oil, then add tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds or so until it becomes fragrant.
- Add your cubed chicken to the pan and brown for 1-2 minutes until the chicken no longer sticks together.
- Transfer chicken and sun dried tomatoes (all of the contents of the pan) to your crockpot and top with chicken broth. Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, or low heat for 4-5 hours.
- About 20 minutes before you’d like to eat, boil the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and add to the Crockpot.
- Drain any excess liquid (set aside 1/4 cup) and add spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese in a blender until smooth, and add the mixture to the Crockpot.
- Stir the cottage cheese mixture and 1/4 cup pasta water into the contents of the slow cooker.
- Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum
Hello!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I can’t eat pasta so I’m going to try this with spaghetti squash instead…is the chicken stock really there as a cooking agent for the pasta? Im not great in the kitchen and am trying to figure out how to alter this recipe…thanks!
It depends on how you’re cooking it–if you’re using the stovetop follow those directions and use spaghetti squash instead–that would be easiest. In the IP, yes, the chicken broth is there for the pasta.
Should we use regular chicken broth or fat free? Haven’t used the fat free before so I’m not sure how big the difference is… But, just wanted to play it safe.
I believe I used regular low-sodium chicken broth. Since it’s all showing as 0 points on the WW website I’d stick with that–no need to use fat free if they’re both zero points!
OMG this is so drool-worthy! I’m going to try it this weekend as I’ve got some friends coming over :)
Just finished meal prepping it for the whole week. So excited!
I love healthy, easy recipes! This meal is delicious!
I still haven’t made a pasta dish in my Instant Pot, but this is the recipe I’m going to start with. You can’t beat healthy comfort food!
Do you use grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan cheese?
Either is fine :)
Hi – Have you tried freezing the leftovers? Just me and my hubby, so if I can freeze leftovers for later its a plus :)
I have not, but I’ve had readers say they have! If I were to freeze it, I might use smaller noodles so they didn’t break up too bad when reheating.
This is so tasty! I do have a question! For the serving size is it one half a cup per serving or one AND a half cups per serving?
One AND one half cups :)
Thank you!
I just made this recipe and it was awesome!!! I didn’t quite cover the pasta with the broth and it was super! Pasta was perfect. I added a tad more salt and pepper and some crushed red pepper flakes for spice.
(By the way, I take a big bottle of red pepper flakes….put it in my Nutribullet….and grind it up a bit. Because I don’t like biting into one hot piece of pepper). No one could tell this is a light recipe either! I don’t like cottage cheese at all and you can’t even tell it’s in here!
Love, love!
I made this dish in my instant pot. The flavor was good but mine turned out way too saucy which turned it into a thick and mushy blob. Next time I’ll reduce the amount of yogurt & cottage cheese “sauce”.
Hi Darleen, I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. I’m wondering if the non fat dairy made it a little watery? Please let me know after you try again, I’d love to know if it works for you.