Here is a lighter, one-pot version of the classic Chicken Scampi Pasta from Olive Garden. Creamy, easy, and oh so flavorful!
This recipe has been requested for year now, so I apologize for only sharing it with you now!
I’ll admit that I had my reservations about this one. Scampi to me means lots of butter, garlic, and lemon. There are definitely ways to lighten that up, like my Healthy Shrimp Scampi or Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta.
So when I looked at the ingredients in this one, I was confused. Lots of bell peppers, red onion, and cream? I mean, those ingredients are all great, but definitely not what I was expecting.
You all always have the best recommendations though, so I gave it a shot. OMG!! The creamy garlic pepper sauce is just heavenly, with the perfect hint of a spicy kick.
Total win! A delicious, easy weeknight pasta dish you can whip up when you don’t want to put in a lot of work.
How to Make Chicken Scampi Pasta
So this dish at Olive Garden is 45 WW points a serving and over 1,200 calories!!! Yikes!
I’m always trying to give a lighter glowup to our restaurant favorites. Enjoying restaurant-quality meals, just lightened up a bit is something that truly keeps me on track.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying our favorites dishes from restaurants that we love, but if I can fit an easy copycat version of the same dish into my week, that is a win!
It’s all about the sauce! This one gets its flavor from some delicious caramelized vegetables and lots of seasoning. Not to mention that reduced white wine!
I’m a huge advocate for cooking with wine if you can. It add tons of flavor that you cant add to a sauce any other way. The alcohol burn off, so you don’t have to worry about a buzz or anything. Lol.
But I understand if you don’t want to use it. Just add more chicken stock instead. The flavor won’t be exactly the same, but it will still be yummy!
Using Leftover Creamy Pasta
If you’ve ever brought home a cream-based sauce from a restaurant, you may have had the unpleasant experience of the sauce separating when you reheat it.
That oily, gloppy mess that happens is because the fats from the heavy cream and butter have separated and no longer emulsify into the sauce. I think the technical term is when the sauce “breaks.”
This is yet another advantage of a lightened up, one-pot version of a creamy pasta–it won’t separate! Since there is less fat, there is less separation.
Not only that, the starchy sauce created by cooking the pasta right in there makes everything come together even after the sauce cools off. Magic!
All of this is to say that the pasta reheats well. Definitely use these leftovers for lunches throughout the week!
more One-Pot Meals like Chicken Scampi Pasta
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Chicken Scampi Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 2/3 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay) use more chicken stock if you want to avoid alcohol
- 1 cup unsweetened, original almond milk (or other plant-based milk) skim will work, but it curdles easily
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup grated, fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season chicken with 3/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Spritz a very large pan with cooking spray.
- Over medium-high heat, sear chicken on both sides until just browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Spritz pan with a little more cooking spray and add in bell peppers and onion. Sauté veggies until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add in white wine and reduce by half. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Return Chicken to pan. Mix in chicken stock, both milks, and all remaining seasonings. DO NOT ADD PARMESAN. Bring liquids to a boil.
- Lay spaghetti on top of the liquid mixture. Push the pasta into boiling liquid until mostly submerged. If you have a smaller-brimmed pot, you may need to break your pasta in half.
- Cover pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove lid, raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked but some liquid still remains.
- Take pan off heat. Mix in parmesan and let stand to thicken up for a minute or so.
This was absolutely fantastic! My hubby was shocked when I told him it was a lightened up recipe. Definitely restaurant quality!