Supergreen Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients

• 200 g Fusilli pasta
• 300 g Cavolo nero (Leaves stripped from stems and rinsed)
• 3 Garlic cloves (Peeled)
• 160 g Cottage cheese
• 40 g Light cream cheese (The method refers to this as soft cheese)
• 40 g Parmesan cheese (Grated; the method states to blend 50 g into the sauce, although the ingredient list specifies 40 g total plus 10 g for serving)
• 150 g Cooked shredded chicken
• 1 Lemon (Zested and juiced; use the juice to finish)
• 10 g Parmesan cheese (For serving, grated)
• Dried chilli flakes (A pinch, for serving)
• Olive oil (Optional drizzle, to serve)
• Salt (For the pasta water and seasoning, to taste)
• Black pepper (A pinch for the sauce, plus more to taste)
• Blanching water (A couple of tablespoons, plus more as needed to blend)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil.

2. 2

   While the water heats, strip the cavolo nero leaves from their stems and rinse them thoroughly. Peel the garlic cloves.

3. 3

   Add the cavolo nero leaves and garlic to the boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes, until the leaves are tender. Drain, then let them cool slightly; alternatively, refresh them in iced water to help preserve their bright green color.

4. 4

   Zest and juice the lemon. Grate the Parmesan and reserve 10 g for serving.

5. 5

   Squeeze as much excess water as possible from the cooked cavolo nero. Add it to a blender with the blanched garlic, cottage cheese, light cream cheese, the Parmesan intended for the sauce, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of the blanching water.

6. 6

   Blend until completely smooth. Add a little more blanching water if necessary to help the mixture blend into a pourable sauce.

7. 7

   Return the same saucepan of water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly.

8. 8

   Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl. Pour over the green sauce and toss until every piece of pasta is evenly coated.

9. 9

   Add the cooked shredded chicken and toss again until it is distributed throughout and warmed through. If the chicken is still cool, set the bowl over the hot saucepan and gently warm it while tossing. If the sauce seems too loose, continue tossing until it thickens and clings to the pasta.

10. 10

    Squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then toss once more.

11. 11

    Divide between two bowls. Finish with the reserved Parmesan, an optional drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of dried chilli flakes.

Notes

The ingredient list specifies 40 g Parmesan plus 10 g for serving, while the method says to blend 50 g into the sauce. Follow the listed total of 50 g, using 40 g in the sauce and 10 g to serve, or reserve more Parmesan for the sauce if desired. The stated nutrition is approximately 557 calories and 57 g protein per serving, though exact values vary by pasta, dairy, chicken, and oil used.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• high-protein
• pasta
• quick dinner
• under 30 minutes
• vegetable-rich
• chicken
• one-pan