I had to hop on the bandwagon of this #fetapastachallenge that was on tiktok. You all KNOW I needed to put my healthy on this viral challenge. What I did to modify this recipe is use only half a block of feta and then I added 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese. The addition of the cottage cheese cuts the fat and it adds more protein to this dish. I also used zucchini noodles instead of regular noodles, which makes my version keto friendly and gluten free! Lastly, I add chicken because in my opinion, chicken makes everything better. However, you can omit the chicken if you want a plant based meal.
The flavor of this recipe is spot on! You cannot even tell that there is cottage cheese instead of all feta. The best part is that you don’t feel weighed down at the end of the meal, which leaves room for popcorn later with your late-night movie!
Recipe:
Serves: 3
Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts (2 cups worth) - cut into bite sized pieces (optional ingredient)
5 Zucchini - Spiralized (or 2 packages pre-spiralized zucchini from the supermarket)
1.5 Pints of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
4 oz (1/2 block) Feta Cheese
1/4 cup Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Light Oil
Dried Oregano
Dried Italian Seasoning
Granulated Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Grated Pecorino Cheese (I use Locatelli)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small casserole dish, place in the tomatoes. Put the feta and cottage cheese in the middle of the tomatoes in the dish. Drizzle 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil all over the tomatoes and cheese. Generously season with garlic powder and pepper. Lightly season with salt and oregano.
3. Cook the casserole dish in the oven for 35 minutes.
4. While the feta is cooking, place your spiraled zucchini in a large bowl.
5. (Optional cooking chicken): Also while the feta is cooking, heat 2 tbsp light oil on medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the chopped chicken and generously season with garlic powder, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Lightly season with salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until fully cooked through, stirring occasionally. Keep the chicken in the pan and leave on the stove for later use.
6. When the feta is done cooking, using a spoon, mix together until a creamy sauce forms. Re-heat the chicken (if using) in the pan on the stove. Add the chicken to the zucchini noodles and then pour the sauce over the whole bowl. Mix until fully incorporated and top with freshly grated cheese and black pepper!