Is Fajita Chicken Pasta Healthy?

This version of fajita chicken pasta is a healthier twist on a classic comfort dish. It uses lean chicken breast, plenty of vegetables, nonfat Greek yogurt and protein pasta to keep it lighter while still being creamy and satisfying. We’re also going light on the cheese – just enough to have a melty topping!

It’s indulgent but still healthy – just like my Healthy Tater Tot Casserole!

Quick & Easy Variations

This easy pasta dish is simple to prepare but you can swap out a few ingredients and have a whole new dish! Here are a few ideas:

• Frozen Peppers & Onions – you could use frozen peppers and onions instead of fresh and then you can skip the saute step.
• Low Carb – skip the pasta and the water and have a low-carb dinner. You could serve over cauliflower rice.
• More Veggies – you can always add more veggies to a dish! Mushrooms would be delicious in this pasta but you could also get a little wild and add broccoli (not very fajita-y but so good!).
• Swap the Protein – if you’re bored with chicken, try sliced steak or even diced pork chops or boneless pork ribs. (Like these Steak Fajitas)

How to Make Fajita Chicken Pasta

This Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe is so easy to make and full of flavor! Start this healthy family dinner by sauteeing a few veggies and then put it all together in a baking dish and you’re done! Full instructions and amounts in the recipe card below.

1. SLICE chicken, onion and peppers into bite-sized pieces.
2. SAUTE – In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add peppers, onions, garlic, salt & pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften.
3. MIX – Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick coating and add pasta, chicken, peppers & onions, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, fajita seasoning, tomatoes and water. Stir everything really well and smooth out so pasta is in the liquid as much as possible.
4. SPRINKLE – Sprinkle the pepper jack evenly over the top.
5. BAKE – Cover with foil and bake in 375º oven for 45 minutes.
6. REST – Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and the pasta soaks everything up.
7. SERVE – Plate up a big scoop and top with sour cream, cilantro and a squeeze of lime! Turn this into a meal and add my Roadhouse Side Salad and some Cheesy Breadsticks!

Tips Tricks & FAQs

If you love easy dinners with bold flavor, this fajita chicken pasta is the perfect weeknight meal.

More Fajita Recipes

• Blackstone Fajitas
• Chili’s Fajitas
• Air Fryer Steak Fajitas

What to serve with Chicken Fajita Pasta

• Side Salad
• Tortilla Chips
• Elote (Mexican Corn)
• Cheese Bread

Short Cuts & Variations

Whether you want to go quicker, easier or change it up – I’ve got you covered!

• Marinara – I love my copycat Olive Garden marinara – but you can use a store-bought marinara sauce if you like. I typically have a jar of Rao’s on hand. Or swap it with the five cheese marinara for more cheese!!!
  • You can also make the marinara ahead of time – you only need 1/2 the recipe for this dish – use the other half for spaghetti on another night for two family dinners in one!
• Cut the Cheese – Haha…I’m funny. What I mean is you could just use mozzarella and ricotta and it would fine. Or buy a pizza blend to go with the ricotta.
• Sausage – add cooked Italian sausage to the ricotta mixture for some amazing meaty manicotti!
• Spinach & Mushrooms – add some veggies!!! Lightly sauteed mushrooms and spinach (or frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained) in the ricotta mixture is good as well!
• White Manicotti – add grilled chicken to the manicotti and use alfredo instead of marinara!

How to make Copycat Olive Garden Manicotti Recipe

1. MAKE THE MARINARA – If you’re going to make it from scratch for the familiar flavors of the Olive Garden – do that first! It takes longer so that way it’s ready for when you are going to put this in the oven.
2. PREHEAT the oven to 400º. Spray a large 9×13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add about 1 cup of marinara to the bottom of the dish.
3. PREPARE your noodles – if you’re using manicotti – you’ll need to boil them to al dente (no more!!!). These noodles will tear as you’re filling them if they’re too done – so a little more firm is what you want.
4. MIX your filling! In a large bowl – mix together all those cheeses, egg and seasonings. (Full instructions and amounts in recipe card below.)
5. GET YOUR PIPING BAG – I tried doing this with a ziploc and just snipping off a corner but the filling is really thick. It works best with some type of bag – either a piping bag or a thicker large ziploc bag and a PIPING TIP. Use a tip with a large opening vs. a fancy decorative one. This works well for either bag or noodle. Fill the bag with the cheese mixture.
6. DRAIN & RINSE noodles with cool water to stop the cooking.
7. FILL the noodles with the ricotta filling. Lay each filled noodle into the prepared baking dish.
8. TOP with more marinara and mozzarella. Be sure to cover all pasta with marinara to prevent it from drying out – especially if using no-bake cannelloni.
9. BAKE for 20-25 minutes covered with foil.

What to Serve With Olive Garden Manicotti

Turn this cheesy pasta into a full Italian dinner with a few classic sides:

• Garlic bread or breadsticks
• Caesar salad
• Olive Garden copycat salad with Italian Dressing
• Steakhouse broccoli or green beans
• Italian sausage or grilled chicken

Tips Tricks & FAQs

More Olive Garden Recipes

• Olive Garden Five Cheese Marinara
• Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo
• Olive Garden Giant Stuffed Shells

More Ricotta Recipes

• Ricotta Egg Bites
• Salmon Stuffed Shells
• Olive Garden Stuffed Ziti Fritta

Cincinnati Chili Ingredients

Cincinnati Chili is very runny and not chunky – it’s like the OPPOSITE of Wendy’s Chili. This chili is all about the spices – it’s a Greek recipe – with it’s own secret ingredient – that our city loves with all it’s heart. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Ground Beef
• Water
• Seasonings: (get ready!!) – Cinnamon, Cocoa Powder, Cumin, Minced Onion, Onion Powder, Minced Garlic, Chili Powder, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, Allspice, Bay Leaf
• Sauces: Worcestershire Sauce, Tomato Paste, Apple Cider Vinegar, Liquid Smoke

How do you eat Cincinnati Chili? 

If you’ve ever met someone from Cincinnati or even eaten the chili for the first time – I DARE you to twirl those noodles! There’s a specific way to eat it and certain things you need – let’s get you up to speed:

• Spaghetti – yup – we put it on spaghetti! So it’s spaghetti topped with chili – like you would a meat sauce – and then top it with 2-3 inches of finely shredded mild cheddar cheese. This is called a THREE WAY. And when you eat it – you CUT it with a fork – don’t twirl. I don’t know why – but it tastes different!
  • 4-Way or 5-Way – you can add drained kidney beans or diced white onion
• Coney – get yourself a cheap hot dog, put mustard on the bun, then hot dog, chili, white onion and loads of the same cheddar cheese
• Burrito – Spoon that chili into a burrito and add onions, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato
• Dip – Skyline Dip is a big thing here – layer cream cheese, chili and cheese – then bake it!
• Sliders – Chili Cheese Coney Sliders are my creation – take everything you love on a cheese coney and put it on slider buns – then bake them! This is a perfect Bengals party food!
• Baked Potato – Spoon it over a baked potato with cheese and onions
• Toppings: Kidney Beans, Diced White Onion, Hot Sauce, Oyster Crackers

How do you make Cincinnati Chili recipe from scratch? 

There are lots of ways to make Cincinnati Chili. You can buy a Cincinnati Chili Mix in the store, you can buy Skyline Chili or Gold Star Chili at Walmart online – or use my recipe for Cincinnati Chili from scratch!

• Crumble the ground beef into your water – yeah – I swear.
• Add your seasonings.
• Mash and break up the hamburger and stir it all together.
• Simmer it for a couple of hours and keep the mashing up every 30 minutes or so.
• The chili will turn from red to brown and is done!

Cincinnati Recipes

If you’ve moved from Cincinnati, you probably miss these delicious Cincinnati favorites!

• Cincinnati Chili Cheese Coney Sliders
• Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili
• Frisch’s Tartar Sauce
• Frisch’s Chili (not Cincinnati style – this is a traditional chili)
• Frisch’s Big Boy Pizza
• Gold Star Chili Garlic Parmesan Fries

How to make Sausage Mushroom Soup

One thing I love about soups is it’s a one-pot meal! I live alone and it makes enough for a family of 4 to eat twice – so needless to say – my friends got big containers of it as well! Making it is so simple and it’s done in about 30 minutes!

1. BROWN Italian sausage in a Dutch oven
2. ADD onion, mushrooms and garlic and stir until softened
3. ADD chicken broth, tomatoes, pasta, salt & Italian seasoning. Stir mixture, cover & bring to a boil.
4. UNCOVER and simmer for 10-12 minutes until pasta is done.
5. ADD cream cheese, heavy cream and parmesan. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.

More Soup Recipes

• Carrabba’s Spicy Chicken Soup
• Cheeseburger Macaroni Soup
• Autumn Wild Rice Soup

More Mushroom Recipes

• Olive Garden Creamy Mushroom Sauce
• Texas Roadhouse Portobello Chicken
• Creamy Mushroom Pesto Pasta

Make it Quicker & Easier

• Rotisserie chicken – This is a simple way to make this dish a little easier! Just slice chicken off when you get it!
• Salad Dressing – I went the easy route by using a bottled dressing – especially because it’s the one they use at Cheddar’s – so the flavor will be on-point!
• Pre-Cut Lettuce – Most stores sell romaine that is pre-chopped. I just like to buy the head because it’s cheaper.

How to make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

This makes a really big chicken caesar salad for two people or a more moderate salad for four. If serving four (as a side dish), you might want to double the chicken.

1. Prep Pasta & Chicken – Boil penne pasta to al dente. Season and air fry your chicken breasts.
   • Cheddar’s uses Lemon Pepper – but you can use whatever seasonings you prefer. I used my Lemon Pepper and added garlic.
   • Cheddar’s uses penne pasta but you could also use rigatoni, rotini noodles or bowtie pasta as well.
2. Prep Salad – Chop Romaine and gather shaved Parmesan, dressing and croutons.
   • This is a very simple Caesar salad but feel free to add chopped red onion and cherry tomatoes if you’d like more veggies in there!
3. Cool Pasta – Drain and cool pasta by rinsing with cold water for 2 minutes.
4. Toss Salad – In a large bowl, mix together romaine, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salad dressing and cooled pasta. Toss until coated.
5. Serve – Split salad between 2-4 bowls and top with sliced chicken breast.

More Restaurant Salad Recipes

• Longhorn Strawberry Salad
• Cheesecake Factory Chopped Salad
• O’Charley’s California Chicken Salad

Cold Pasta Dishes

• Jimmy Buffet Pasta Salad
• Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad
• Greek Tuna Pasta Salad

Tips & Tricks for Spicy 3 Meat Sauce

What I like about making this sauce is that you can customize the sauce to your liking! Here are some ideas:

• Mild Spice Level – just like a little spice? Add red pepper flakes
• Super Spicy – add more red pepper flakes and use a spicy Italian sausage
• Semi-Homemade – use a jarred marinara sauce like Rao’s and then add the meats to it
• Veggies – if you like more veggies – add bell pepper, carrots and mushrooms when you’re sautéing the onion.

How to make Olive Garden Spicy 3 Meat Sauce

This sauce is easy to make and goes together quickly. You can have it on the table in just 30 minutes! Saute the meats & veggies and then add tomatoes and seasonings – that’s it!

1. SAUTE – Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven and saute onions, pepper & garlic.
2. MEAT – Add ground beef and sausage and cook 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add in pepperoni and stir to combine.
3. DEGLAZE – Deglaze pan with wine and reduce until liquid is nearly gone.
4. TOMATOES – Add tomatoes and herbs and stir.
5. SIMMER – Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes
6. SERVE – over bucatini (or your favorite pasta)

More Olive Garden Sauce Recipes

• Olive Garden 5 Cheese Marinara
• Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo
• Olive Garden Garlic Herb Sauce

Side Dish Recipes for Pasta

• Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread
• Olive Garden House Salad
• Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli

How to make Five Cheese Ziti al Forno

This copycat Olive Garden recipe is my nephew’s favorite! Once I figured out the 5 Cheese Marinara – it was easy peasy to make this recipe! Here’s how you’ll do it (preview: it’s a little work – but it’s not hard – I promise!)

1. You’ll make a marinara sauce
2. Then you’ll make an alfredo sauce with a five blend: Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Gouda and Ricotta Cheese.
3. Then mix them together!!! (Here’s the full recipe for the Five Cheese Marinara)
4. Boil some ziti pasta – it’s easy to find. Rigatoni would work as well.
5. Pour your ziti into an oven-safe casserole dish, cover with the 5 Cheese Marinara
6. Sprinkle the top with Mozzarella
7. Bake ziti for 25 minutes, then Low Broil for 5 minutes until the top is golden brown

Make it Quicker & Easier

You can cheat a bit for a semi-homemade version of the 5 Cheese Ziti al Forno recipe – but I encourage you to make your own alfredo – it’s worth the extra step!

• Jarred Sauce – you can buy a cheesy marinara jarred sauce
• Semi-Homemade – buy a jarred marinara but make your own alfredo (it’s worth it!)
• Pre-shredded mozzarella – I prefer to shred my own but the bagged works fine too

More Olive Garden Sauce Recipes

• Olive Garden Meat Sauce
• Olive Garden Marinara
• Olive Garden Alfredo

What to serve with Olive Garden 5 Cheese Ziti

• Hawaiian Roll Garlic Bread
• Olive Garden House Salad
• Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli

Make it Quicker & Easier

This really doesn’t take long – you can make the alfredo while the marinara simmers – but if you’re wanting to make it a little quicker – here are a few ideas:

• Super Easy – just mix a jar of marinara and a jar of alfredo – boom done.
• One Jar – use a jar of marinara but make the alfredo – it’s easy and tastes much better than jarred
• Jazz Up the Jars – if using jars, add fresh herbs (basil and garlic) and grated cheeses (Parmesan) to freshen up the flavor from a jarred sauce
• Cheese Blend – instead of buying all the cheeses just find an Italian cheese blend that has most of them to save money and time

How to make Olive Garden Five-Cheese Marinara Sauce

This is an easy recipe to make and I think it’s really great to know how to make these from scratch! No preservatives and you know everything that’s going in it! Plus it’s on the table in 40 minutes!

1. SAUTE – Heat olive oil and add onions and garlic. Be sure to use a large pot but not cast iron because the tomatoes will react with it and make the sauce taste acidic.
2. TOMATOES – add all your tomatoes and marinara seasonings and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. PASTA – boil your pasta while marinara is simmering
4. BUTTER – in a saucepan or skillet, melt butter and add garlic. Whisk in flour.
5. DAIRY TIME – add in half and half and all cheeses – whisk until the sauce thickens and remove from heat.
6. COMBINE – Pour your alfredo sauce into your marinara! Stir to combine and spoon onto pasta!

More Olive Garden Sauce Recipes

• Marinara Sauce
• Meat Sauce
• Mushroom Sauce
• Spicy 3 Meat Sauce

Side Dish Recipes for Pasta

• Olive Garden House Salad
• Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread
• Dominos Parmesan Bread Bites

Quick Tips for Making Shrimp Alfredo!

• Shrimp – use large, raw, deveined shrimp – it’ll make your life easier!
• Cheese – buy a block of cheese and grate yourself! The pre-shredded has a coating that doesn’t melt right!
• Garlic – use cloves of fresh garlic – it’s a main flavor! No “jarlic” for this one

Recipe Variations

Shrimp Alfredo is pretty great on it’s own – but here’s a few tweaks you can make to make it just how YOU like it!

• Seafood – make it a full on seafood alfredo by adding seared scallops and fresh crab!
• Veggies – add broccoli, onions or mushrooms for a more complete meal
• Swap Protein – swap the shrimp for grilled chicken!
• Lighten It Up – swap heavy cream for 2% milk – you might need a little more flour to thicken or have a looser sauce but it will still taste delicous!
• Pasta – don’t feel like you HAVE to use fettuccine! Avoid angel hair but spaghetti, linguine or even rotini are great too!

How to make Copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo Recipe

I cannot express to you how easy this Olive Garden Signature Dish is to make! Alfredo sauce only takes five minutes! Why would you ever buy the jarred stuff????

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Drain and set aside. 
2. While pasta cooks, In a skillet, add olive oil and melt 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, add shrimp and sauce for 1-2 min on each side until opaque. Remove from pan and set aside in a bowl and toss with Italian seasoning.
3. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add remaining butter and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Lower stove to medium heat and whisk in flour.
5. Quickly add milk, heavy cream, Parmesan and Romano cheese to saucepan and stir frequently until the cheese melts and incorporates into the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and thicken. Add salt & pepper and whisk to combine. Remove from heat.
6. Drain pasta and toss with Alfredo sauce. Top with shrimp and garnish with Italian seasoning and fresh parsley. Serve with side salad, garlic bread or breadsticks and enjoy!

Tips, Tricks & FAQs

What to serve with Shrimp Alfredo

• Olive Garden Signature Salad & Italian Dressing
• Dominos Parmesan Bread Bites
• Air Fryer Broccoli

More Olive Garden Recipes

• Giant Stuffed Shells
• Traditional Red Sauce with Meat
• Chicken Scampi (per personal favorite!!!)
• More Olive Garden Recipes

Olive Garden Meat Sauce Ingredients

The meat sauce is comparable to an Italian ragu or bolognese – which I found out – are the same thing. They just call it different things in different regions. In contrast to their marinara sauce, which is lighter and slightly sweet, the meat sauce has red wine, beef and pork.

All the usual suspects with a couple of add-ons that make it Olive Garden perfection:

• Onion, Celery & Carrot – the trifecta of yum when it comes to veggies!
• Garlic, Rosemary, Sage – the touch of sage adds so much! These aren’t the usual “Italian seasonings” but trust me – they’re perfect!
• Salt and Olive Oil – every recipe’s ingredients – right?!
• Ground Beef & Italian Sausage – gotta have the combo – it’s what they use!
• Crushed tomatoes – a big can and get a good brand – they’re the star!
• Red wine – I’m not a wine drinker – so I buy the little individual bottles and use one of those!

How do you make meat sauce?

This Olive Garden Meat Sauce is perfect over spaghetti or even linguine. Cook and drain your pasta while the sauce simmers for an easy dinner! (Don’t miss out on the Marinara sauce either!)

• Get out your Dutch oven! Start with olive oil and add your celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until tender for 5 minutes.
• Add meats – brown ground beef and sausage until pink is gone
• Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine and cook until the liquid is reduced and mostly gone
• Add tomatoes, rosemary, sage and salt and stir the sauce mixture
• Simmer for an hour on the stovetop and serve over spaghetti noodles!

Tips, Tricks & FAQs

What to serve with Olive Garden Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

I had dinner all laid out and man I’m not sure who was drooling more – me or
the dogs!!?!! Salad, fresh Romano cheese to grate on top – a little sprig of
fresh basil and a big bowl of spaghetti – I was ready! 

• Olive Garden Salad
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Air Fryer Oreo Cheesecake

Other Olive Garden Recipe Favorites

• Giant Stuffed Shells
• Fettuccini Alfredo
• 5 Cheese Marinara
• Stuffed Ziti Fritta
• Pasta Fagioli
• Spicy 3-Meat Sauce
• 5 Cheese Ziti Al Forno