Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pumpkin Alfredo

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pumpkin Alfredo uses a creamy and healthier alfredo sauce made with pumpkin instead of flour, with tender chicken breast pieces and broccoli. Perfect with any pasta.

Oh, hayyyy carb lovers. Welcome to my world of chocolate and cakes and brownies and blondies and pancakes……. and pastaaaahhh. All lower in fat than normal stuff. Ok. Most lower in fat than normal.

After making that ever so creamy Lightened Up Chicken Carbonara, I was craving more good-for-me-stuff….. like I crave donuts and french toast.

Something to cure our school holiday rainy-day-blues. And this was it.

Total comfort food.

As usual, my cravings never head in the direction of healthy. Or low fat. Oh you know, like carrot sticks and celery stalks (which, by the way, end up with peanut butter smeared all over them. Just saying.)

I always end up craving buttery, oily and creamy anything. Sweet and savoury.

But I just can’t do that to ma’self.

And this is a recipe I’ve used since my daughter was making me crave bad things while I was pregnant with her.

She’s the fussiest eater on the planet ladies and gentlemen, and she absolutely loves this. So it’s safe to say kids will devour this bowl full of pumpkin epicness.

No flour is needed for this. No béchamel nada. Because the pumpkin provides all the starch to thicken this beautifully and creamily without any addition of anything else.

And when I read that back, I’ll be all, ‘Karina, what the hell are you talking about?’

It’s ok. The carbs are making me do it.

The soft chicken pieces in this perfect, comfort meal makes this super filling, you may need to unbutton a couple of buttons on your bell bottom jeans and the boots with the furrrr.

Like our Creamy Champagne Chicken, this dis is so creamy, full of beautiful mouth watering flavours, with the perfect cheese touch from the parmesan. Try not to get obsessed with this bowl of pumpkin and pasta, new addiction alert! Like, you’ll be wanting more even though no more will fit anywhere, even after you’ve unbuttoned everything.

The next day you’ll be eating this for breakfast after dreaming about it all night. That type of addiction. And I know I’m not the only one. And that’s totally ok. Because your secrets are safe with me.

If your still dreaming of carbs after this, try these other pastas:

One Pot Mushroom Chicken Pasta

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Fiery Lamb Ragu on Parpadelle

One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo With Bacon

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pumpkin Alfredo

Author: Karina

A creamy and healthier alfredo sauce made with pumpkin instead of flour, with tender chicken breast pieces and broccoli. Perfect with any pasta.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

USMetric

• ▢ 1 lbs packet penne pasta (or any pasta)
• ▢ 1 cup reserved pasta water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons light butter of choice
• ▢ 1 medium brown onion sliced thinly
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• ▢ 1 lbs skinless chicken breast tenders cubed
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree canned or fresh, steamed until soft
• ▢ 2 cups skim/low fat milk
• ▢ 2 cups broccoli florets
• ▢ ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable stock powder
• ▢ 1 pinch salt to season

Instructions

• Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water according to packet directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the water for later use.
• Heat a large pan over medium heat and add butter. As soon as it starts to fry and sizzle, add onion and cook until transparent. Add the garlic, and fry until garlic becomes fragrant (about a minute). Add the chicken and stir it through the onion and garlic. Cook until chicken changes in colour. Add the pumpkin and milk, continuously stirring until it combines and begins to simmer and thicken. Add the broccoli and parmesan cheese, stock powder and salt. Mix well and cook until chicken has cooked through and broccoli is cooked to your liking. Pour the reserved pasta water into the pan in ¼ cup increments, stirring between each addition, until you gain the consistency you like. (If you need too, add a little extra milk for a thinner sauce).
• Gently stir the pasta through the sauce and serve with extra parmesan cheese!

Notes

Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 868mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 11.726IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 3mg

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