Healthy Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta Recipe Without Cream

If you like healthy and easy pasta recipes, check out the following:

• Spicy Rigatoni Recipe
• Healthy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
• Creamy Spicy Shrimp Recipe
• Pasta Without Pounds

🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Is It Healthy?

Spicy chipotle chicken pasta can be a very unhealthy meal. According to the Cheesecakes Factory's nutrition info, one serving of spicy chicken chipotle pasta contains 1770 calories with 67 grams of protein, 103 grams of fat, and 146 grams of carbs.

This is more calories than some people's entire days worth of calories, making this a highly caloric meal that can be very detrimental to weight loss purposes. Most of the calories come from the high amount of fats from the cream sauce and carbs from the pasta.

Thankfully, it's not hard to make this dish healthy with a few adjustments.

🍏 How to Make It Healthy – The Fitsian Method

In this healthy spicy chipotle chicken pasta, I used key ingredient swaps to make this a more macro-friendly and calorie-conscious dish. Here are some key tweaks I made:

• Pasta – Used exactly 1 portion of pasta, adding only 190 calories.
• Cream – Swapped out the heavy cream for a dairy that is less high in fats. I used greek yogurt in this recipe, which also adds a touch of protein. You can also opt for half and half or milk.
• Chicken thigh – Portioned and used 4 ounces of boneless skinless chicken thigh for a lean protein source.
• Use cooking spray – Instead of traditional oil for everything that was sautéd or fried. 1 tablespoon of olive oil adds a whopping 120 calories to the dish, whereas cooking spray is 0 calories.

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of the chipotle pasta, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

Pasta – I used 1 serving (52 grams) of pici, which is a thicker version of spaghetti. The original Cheesecake Factory recipe uses penne pasta. The sauce would go well with any type of pasta, so feel free to use what you like.

Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs as a lean protein source. I find it to be a good balance between having juiciness while still being healthy. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Yogurt – The substitute for heavy cream in this recipe, which reduces the fat content and calorie intake of this dish significantly. I used Siggi's plain greek yogurt but any plain greek yogurt will work.

Chipotle in Adobo Sauce – The key ingredient for the delicious flavor in the spicy chipotle cream sauce. Be sure to remove the chipotle peppers and just use the adobo sauce.

Cilantro – A great touch of freshness for the dish.

Cheese – Garnish with some parmesan or cotija cheese

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Prepare the pasta – Cook 1 serving of pasta in a large pot of water to al dente according to the package instructions. I used pici, but any pasta would work. Be sure to take at least ¼ cup of pasta water to help the pasta sauce achieve the optimal consistency later.

Prepare the vegetables and chicken – Cut the chicken thigh into small, 1-inch cubes, removing any excess fat and season chicken with salt and black pepper. Mince the onions, garlic, and slice the mushrooms.

Sauté everything – In a large skillet, spray cooking spray and turn the stove to medium-high heat. Add in the chicken pieces and cook for about 3-4 minutes each side, or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. While the chicken is cooking on the second side, add in the garlic, onions, and mushrooms, stirring around consistently so that they don't burn.

Make the sauce – Once the chicken is done cooking and the vegetables are soft, turn the heat to low and stir in the chipotle in adobo sauce and yogurt. Mix thoroughly, adding in pasta water as needed.

Add in the pasta – Add the cooked pasta and mix everything together thoroughly, continuing to add pasta water as needed.

Garnish and serve – Chop a handful of cilantro leaves and mix into the pasta. Top with chili flakes and parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy your chipotle chicken pasta!

💡Tips and Tricks

Use the Adobo Sauce and Omit the Chilis – The adobo sauce is what will give us the chipotle flavor for the sauce. Adding the chilis will result in a chunk sauce and very high heat.

Don't Forget the Pasta Water – Pasta water here is crucial to getting the right consistency for the sauce.

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Swap out chicken for shrimp – Swap out the chicken for shrimp for an equally delicious pasta recipe.

Use half and half or milk – Both are also lower calorie dairy alternatives, although they may not be quite as creamy texture-wise as the yogurt.

Add more fresh veggies – Red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, asparagus and yellow onion would also go well with this dish.

Make less spicy – Use chipotle powder or chipotle seasoning instead of chipotle in adobo sauce for a milder spice.

Use gluten-free pasta – Swap out pasta for gluten-free pasta for those with a gluten-free diet.

Use rotisserie chicken – Leftover rotisserie chicken would also be great with this recipe

🥡 Storage

To store, keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

🍳 Recipe