High-Protein Chicken Pesto Pasta Meal Prep

Chickpea pasta doubles the protein of regular pasta, but it goes to mush faster and it punishes anyone who follows the package times. Pull it two minutes early and rinse it cold and it will still have bite on Thursday. Blending cottage cheese into the pesto stretches an expensive ingredient and adds 24g of protein across the batch without any cream. Each container lands at 50g.

Ingredients

• 12 oz chickpea pasta (rotini or penne)
• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the chickpea pasta 2 minutes less than the package says, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop it cooking.
2. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness, season with the salt and pepper, and sear in the olive oil over medium-high for 5 to 6 minutes per side until they hit 160F. Rest 10 minutes, then slice.
3. Blend the cottage cheese, pesto, Parmesan, and lemon zest and juice until completely smooth, then loosen it with a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.
4. Toss the warm spinach and halved tomatoes with the sauce in a large bowl, add the pasta, and stir until every piece is coated. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if it looks tight.
5. Divide among five containers with the sliced chicken laid across the top rather than mixed in, so it does not overcook when you reheat.
6. Cool completely before sealing and refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered for 2 minutes with a tablespoon of water stirred in, since the pasta drinks up the sauce overnight.

Tips

• Chickpea pasta has a very narrow window between al dente and mush. Two minutes under the package time plus a cold rinse is the difference between Thursday pasta with structure and Thursday pasta you throw out.
• Save a full cup of pasta water even if you think you will not need it. Cottage cheese sauces tighten hard in the fridge, and a splash of starchy water when reheating brings the whole container back to creamy.
• Blend the cottage cheese until it is truly smooth, at least 45 seconds. Anything short of that leaves curds that separate when reheated and give the sauce a grainy, broken texture.

FAQ

How much protein is in chickpea pasta?

Around 11g per 2 oz dry serving, versus 7g for regular semolina pasta and about 8g for whole wheat. Lentil pasta is similar to chickpea at 11 to 13g if you prefer the flavor.

Can I use regular pasta instead?

Yes, but each container drops to about 42g of protein. If you go that route, add another half pound of chicken to make up the difference and cook the pasta 1 minute under the package time.

Does cottage cheese sauce reheat well?

It does if you blend it fully and add a tablespoon of water before microwaving. Unblended curds break and go grainy, which is the usual complaint people have about cottage cheese sauces.

Can I freeze this?

Not recommended. Chickpea pasta turns grainy and falls apart after thawing, and the sauce separates. Freeze the seared chicken alone and make fresh pasta the week you need it.

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