Creamy Cajun Chicken Protein Pasta
Spicy, creamy, and quietly missing half its carbs.
Bayou-Bowl Lore
Blackened Cajun chicken over creamy penne, peppers and onions folded through — a steakhouse-pasta craving rebuilt on blended cottage cheese and Carbe Diem, so the sauce stays velvety and the carbs stay low. (Converted from an external meal-prep card — brand names stripped, numbers re-run leaner.)
Portion Matrix (Cooked Cajun Chicken — pasta & sauce as add-ons)
Creamy Cajun Chicken Protein Pasta
Tap a portion size. Watch the numbers move. That’s the whole book.
Per serving adds: Carbe Diem ~110 cal / ~16g net carb per 2 oz dry • creamy sauce ~110 cal (nonfat milk, nonfat Greek, parmesan) • peppers & onion ~36 cal
Macros: USDA FoodData Central (chicken, peppers, onion) + label data (Carbe Diem, parmesan, nonfat milk & cottage cheese) • cooked weights.
The Numbers Up Front
Total Cooked Yield: ~5 oz / 140 g cooked chicken + pasta and sauce
Default Portion: 1 serving — 5 oz / 140 g chicken on 2 oz Carbe Diem
✂️ Trim Trim Trim
Two moves. The cream sauce becomes nonfat milk + blended low-fat cottage cheese with a little real parmesan for depth — cottage cheese blends thicker than yogurt and brings more protein for the same calories, and the penne becomes Carbe Diem — dropping the pasta from ~200 cal / 40g net carb per serving to ~110 cal / 16g net carb. Cook the chicken in a sprayed pan, not a slick of oil.
Ingredients
Use-what-you’ve-got friendly.
Sorted by dish, with the spices you probably already own kept separate.
Chicken
- ◆5 oz / 140 g chicken breast, sliced into strips
- ◆1 tsp Cajun seasoning • ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp onion powder • ¼ tsp smoked paprika • salt & pepper
- ◆0-cal olive oil spray
Pasta + Veg
- ◆2 oz / 56 g Carbe Diem pasta (uncooked)
- ◆½ cup bell peppers, sliced • ¼ cup red onion, sliced
Sauce
- ◆¼ cup nonfat milk • ¼ cup nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth (see step 4) • ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ◆2 tbsp grated parmesan • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning • 1 clove garlic, minced • salt & pepper
To Finish
- ◆Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Cook the Carbe Diem pasta to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Season chicken strips with the Cajun blend. Cook in a sprayed skillet over medium-high 6–8 min until golden and cooked through. Remove.
- 3
In the same skillet, sauté peppers and red onion 4–5 min until softened.
- 4
Blend the cottage cheese with the nonfat milk until completely smooth first — this is not optional; unblended cottage cheese stays grainy and will not turn into a cream sauce. Reduce heat to low, cook garlic 30 sec, then add the blended mixture, broth, parmesan, and Cajun seasoning. Whisk until smooth and creamy — don't boil.
- 5
Add pasta and chicken, toss to coat, simmer 2–3 min to thicken. Finish with parsley.
🧠 Why This Works
Cajun cream pasta is a carb-and-cream bomb by default. Nonfat milk and blended cottage cheese deliver a genuinely creamy sauce, a little parmesan carries the savory punch, and Carbe Diem quietly removes half the pasta's calories and most of its net carbs. What's left is a spicy, creamy, high-protein bowl that eats like a splurge.
🌶️ Flavor Boosters
Extra cayenne • a squeeze of lemon • red pepper flakes • blistered cherry tomatoes • a little more parmesan
🔄 Use What You’ve Got
- —No Carbe Diem? Any high-protein or chickpea pasta lowers carbs; regular penne works, macros climb
- —Chicken → shrimp or sliced sausage-style chicken
- —No cottage cheese? Nonfat Greek yogurt works as a substitute — thinner and tangier, and keep the heat low so it doesn't split
- —Any color bell pepper — use what's in the drawer
📦 Meal Prep Notes
Holds 3–4 days • Add a splash of milk when reheating to loosen the sauce • Keep it gentle on reheat so the sauce stays smooth
📊 Before & After(per serving)
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Cajun Chicken Alfredo | 1,100 | 50g | 55g | 95g |
| ⭐ Creamy Cajun Chicken Protein Pasta | 510 | 65g | 10g | 56g (≈20 net) |
| You Saved / Gained | −590 cal | +15g protein | −45g fat | −39g carbs |
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