what's for dinner tonight {chicken zucchini alfredo}.

well, it's no secret that i l-o-v-e the food network. when we had cable, it's pretty much all i watched (okay, except for "keeping up with the kardashians"...) but anyway. if there was a way we could order cable and only pay for the food network and espn, nick and i would be fully on board.

(hear our pleas, direct tv?)

i love ellie krieger, a food network chef. she is a nutritionist and always has really healthy, low cal recipes that are right. up. my. alley.

this one is great because, well, i love chicken, zucchini and alfredo sauce, so it's perfect. and a way to make healthy pasta alfredo? yes, please.

i think another recipe i have for fettucine alfredo cooking light style is even better, but i liked the fresh zucchini in this one, so give it a try! and i'll post the other one later.

chicken zucchini alfredo

* salt&pepper

* 3 T. olive oil

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 zucchini, thinly sliced into half moons

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

* 12 oz. whole wheat fettucine (i used linguine)

* 1 T. flour

* 1 c. cold skim or low fat milk

* 1/2 c. nonfat evaporated milk

* 3/4 freshly grated parmesan cheese

* 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (i used dry parsley and just added alot less)

- bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

- heat one T. of olive oil over medium heat, add one clove garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. add zucchini, cover and cook until tender. set aside in a bowl.

- in same pan, heat another T. of olive oil. season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until done (approx. 2-3 minutes on both sides). transfer to a plate.

- cook pasta in boiling water, drain, reserving 1/2 c. cooking water. return pasta to cooking pot.

- in a small bowl, whisk milk and flour together. place the remaining one T. of olive oil and one clove of garlic in pan and sautee over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. add flour-milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

- add evaporated milk, 1/2 t. salt and cheese and stir until melted.

- cut chicken into strips, add to pasta. mix in zucchini, sauce, parsley and pasta water if needed to loosen.

enjoy! your tummy and your waistline will be happy.