Would you believe I never had spaghetti squash until this week? Since I am a bit of a pasta addict, I was hesitant to try it because I thought it would just be a disappointing substitute with no taste. This week I decided to jump in and give it a go though for something a little healthier and low carb. Well, I have never been happier about being so entirely wrong. I decided to pair it with some amazing pesto chicken and it was a match made in heaven!
Oh my goodness, when the pesto chicken stuffed spaghetti squash came out I could not wait to try it. It really looked and smelled so wonderful. I was even happier when I took my first bite. Let me tell you, I did not even miss my beloved pasta. It really felt like having some spaghetti with pesto chicken. There was so much flavor and wonderful texture happening. It was a perfect dish for my healthier 2018! I have no delusions of giving up real pasta completely, but it really is great to know there is an absolutely fantastic, lower carb substitute. Hope you all enjoy it too! xoxo
This pesto chicken stuffed spaghetti squash is so loaded with flavor and low carb! It's perfect for a healthy, satisfying dinner.
- 2 whole spaghetti squash
- olive oil as needed
- salt as needed
- freshly cracked black pepper as needed
- dried parsley
- garlic powder as needed
- 1 dash olive oil
- 4 ounces white mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes 10 ounce size, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken diced into small cubes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 pinch dried parsley
- 1 cup basil pesto sauce either homemade or jarred
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- First, prepare the squash. Pre-heat the oven to 400 and line a sheet tray with a silicone mat or aluminum foil. Cut each of the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise to have 4 little boats. Scrape the seeds out of each half. Then drizzle the flesh in each half generously with olive oil, followed by generous pinches of the salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley. roast the squash for 45 minutes to make it tender and shreddable.
- While it cooks, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and let them become fragrant for 2-3 minutes. Then add the chicken and let it completely cook while you stir it well. While the chicken cooks, season the entire mixture with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the pesto sauce and let it all gently simmer together on low for 5 minutes. Take it off of the heat and set it aside.
- When the squash is done, take it out and reduce the oven temperature to 350. Use a fork to completely shred the flesh of the squash into tender "spaghetti", leaving it in its shell. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the squash boats and stuff them well. Finally, top each stuffed squash with a tablespoon of the parmesan cheese. Put it back into the oven to meld together for 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Oh my gosh, this look amazing! I have been wanting to try something like this with m attempt at being healthy and this looks so good!
I was nervous to try spaghetti squash but it is really so good!! I felt good eating it too. Hope you enjoy the recipe, thanks so much for the kind words :-).
I’ve been searching for great stuffed spaghetti squash recipes! This looks perfect.
Oh thank you very much! I hope you love it.
Oh wow, yum!!! This sounds fantastic!!!
Thank you so much!!
As I am reading this post during lunch in my office, I am salivating! Can’t wait to try this recipe at home. Yummy!
Ha, thank you so much!! I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
This looks really delicious! I haven’t used butternut squash much but I love every type of squash I’ve had, so I imagine it would be great!
Yes, spaghetti squash is so yummy and easy to prepare. Thanks for the comment, I hope you enjoy the recipe!!