Description
A creamy, budget-friendly, and diabetic-friendly weeknight dinner that swaps carb-heavy pasta for zucchini noodles. Ready in just 25 minutes with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1 lb)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash zucchini and spiralize into noodles or shave into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Pat chicken breasts dry and slice horizontally into thinner cutlets if desired. Season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once foaming, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F). Remove chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove skillet from heat. Gradually add grated Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.
- Add raw zucchini noodles to the hot sauce and toss gently for 1-2 minutes until wilted but still slightly crunchy.
- Return chicken to the pan to warm through. Slice chicken, place over zucchini noodles, spoon extra sauce on top, and serve immediately.
Notes
Do not overcook the zucchini noodles as they turn to mush quickly. Always remove the pan from heat before adding cheese to prevent graininess. This recipe is naturally gluten-free but check labels on broth and cheese if you have celiac disease. Do not freeze this recipe as zucchini noodles become mushy upon thawing.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
Keywords: diabetic-friendly, zucchini noodles, chicken alfredo, low carb, keto, gluten-free, weeknight dinner, budget-friendly, healthy pasta alternative