Southern Chicken Pasta with Cottage Cheese Sauce | CookOS

Southern Chicken Pasta

Name: Southern Chicken Pasta with Cottage Cheese Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed; 1/2 cup pickle juice; 10 oz mini shell pasta; 16 oz fat-free cottage cheese; 1/2 cup fat-free milk; 1/4 cup low-calorie Chick-fil-A style sauce; 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped; 1 tbsp garlic paste

Southern Chicken Pasta pairs grilled chicken thighs marinated in pickle juice with a creamy cottage cheese and milk sauce, delivering a high-protein, low-calorie take on Southern comfort pasta.

🍴Copycat

🌍American 🏷️Chicken pasta 🏷️Creamy pasta 🏷️High-protein 🏷️Low-calorie Southern

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Total

30 min

Servings

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$17–$28

Recipe Source

View original recipe

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Ingredients

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1/2 cup pickle juice
10 oz mini shell pasta
16 oz fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup low-calorie Chick-fil-A style sauce
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste

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Instructions

1
In a bowl, combine the cubed chicken thighs and pickle juice. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2
While the chicken marinates, cook the mini shell pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3
Sear the marinated chicken in a hot pan until cooked through and nicely charred. Set aside.
4
In a blender, combine the fat-free cottage cheese and fat-free milk. Blend until completely smooth to create a creamy sauce.
5
In a large bowl or wok, combine the cooked pasta and grilled chicken.
6
Pour the blended cottage cheese sauce over the pasta and chicken. Add the Chick-fil-A style sauce, chopped parsley, and garlic paste.
7
Stir everything together until all ingredients are well-coated in the sauce.
8
Serve immediately.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour to allow pickle juice to penetrate and tenderize the meat; overnight adds deeper flavor.
Blend the cottage cheese and milk until completely smooth to avoid grittiness in the sauce; a high-speed blender works best.
Cube the chicken before marinating, not after, so the brine penetrates evenly and cooks faster on the grill.
Toss the hot pasta with the sauce immediately after cooking to coat thoroughly; add reserved pasta water by the tablespoon if the sauce is too thick.

Substitutions

Mini shell pasta → elbow macaroni or penne (texture holds sauce equally well)
Fat-free cottage cheese → Greek yogurt (use 14 oz to account for thicker consistency)
Chick-fil-A style sauce → honey mixed with mayo (1 tbsp honey + 3 tbsp mayo for similar sweetness and tang)
Fresh parsley → fresh basil or chives (same quantity, different herbaceous notes)

Storage & make-ahead

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk, stirring frequently to prevent sauce separation.