Creamy Lemon Pasta

Kinda summery, kinda cozy

Happy Thursday, meal preppers! I know we’re all excited for fall, but it was 106 degrees in Austin yesterday. It is not fall.

So while we wait, let’s make something that’s a little bit summery and a little bit cozy. Summer flavors, but not a salad.

This Creamy Lemon Pasta is just that. It’s like a high protein, lower in fat creamy Alfredo with a lemony twist. And of course, it’s super easy to make and only takes 30 minutes!

For my paid subscribers- the meal plan for this week is like a nice little farewell to summer. It has some of the easiest, yummiest meals for you to say goodbye to the season!

YOUR MEAL PLAN

Meal Plan- Here’s an idea of how to build out a week of meals. You can swap things out, move things around- tailor it to your liking!

Want the recipes and grocery list for the meal plan? Paid subscribers get it as a beautifully organized PDF at the bottom of this newsletter. Become a paid subscriber for just $6 per month to get this amazing resource every week and say goodbye to meal planning forever!

Not into these meals or the recipe for this week? You can always check out the archive of all previous recipes and meal plans here!

Get this prep done in less than an hour! Scroll to the bottom for the PDF of the meal plan, recipes, and grocery list.

THE RECIPE

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Macros per serving:

411 cal, 12g fat, 45g carb, 6g fiber, 32g protein

Servings: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Tools:

• Skillet

• Large pot

• Cutting board

• Knife

• Blender

• Zester

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1 small container of cottage cheese (5.3 oz)

• 1 oz parmesan cheese (block is best, but you can use shredded/grated)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 package of chicken sausage

• 1 head of broccoli

• Roasted red peppers (about 1/2 jar)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 6 oz dry pasta of choice (I used brown rice fusilli)

• Basil (fresh or dried), parmesan, lemon zest, red pepper flakes for topping

Instructions:

1. Zest one or both of the lemons. Reserve the zest for topping the pasta.

2. Add the ingredients for the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth (add 1-2 tbsp of water if needed).

3. Slice the chicken sausage. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the sausage to the skillet. 

4. Let the sausage brown, stirring occasionally. While it cooks, cut the broccoli and slice the roasted red peppers. Remove the sausage from the skillet when it has browned.

5. Fill a large pot with water (for the pasta) and turn onto high heat to bring to a boil.

6. Add the pasta to the water once it’s boiling and set a timer for 7 minutes. Strain the pasta when it is finished cooking.

7. While the pasta is cooking, add the broccoli to the same skillet that cooked the sausage. Add about a tbsp of water and stir. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the broccoli is mostly cooked through.

8. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and roasted red pepper and cook for 1 more minute.

9. Combine the pasta, sausage, and veggies. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before adding the sauce. Top with basil, parmesan, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes if desired.

LAZY VERISION

• Use precut broccoli florets instead of a head of broccoli (a bag tends to have more in them though, so you may want to only use half)

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Sub for chicken sausage: ground sausage, shrimp

• Sub for broccoli: asparagus, green beans

• Sub for roasted red peppers: sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts

STORAGE

• Allow everything to come to room temp and then store in airtight containers in the fridge. I like using these containers.

REHEATING

• Add 1 tsp of water to the pasta. Reheat for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.

REDUCE FOOD WASTE

• Leftover basil? Store it like a bouquet of flowers in a mason jar in your fridge.

• Leftover parmesan cheese? Wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

GROCERY LIST

PRODUCE

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 head of broccoli

• 2 lemons

• Basil (optional)

MEAT/DAIRY

• 1 package of chicken sausage

• 1 small container of cottage cheese (5.3 oz)

• 1 oz parmesan cheese (block is best, but you can use shredded/grated) plus more for topping

PANTRY

• 6 oz dry pasta of choice (I used brown rice fusilli)

• Roasted red peppers (about 1/2 jar)

SPICES/STAPLES

• Salt

• Dried basil

• Red pepper flakes

MACROS

Per serving, 4 servings total.

411 cal, 12g fat, 45g carb, 6g fiber, 32g protein

If you want the PDF of the meal plan, all the recipes for the week and a complete grocery list, sign up as a paid subscriber!