CHICKEN PESTO PALEO SPAGHETTI SQUASH {WHOLE30}

CHICKEN PESTO PALEO SPAGHETTI SQUASH {WHOLE30}

Perfectly cooked spaghetti squash is tossed with a flavor-packed Paleo & Whole30 pesto and seasoned chicken for a healthy filling meal even squash haters will love! This Paleo spaghetti squash dinner makes great leftovers too! Whole30, dairy free and low carb.

I need to begin this post by telling you I am very picky about my spaghetti squash. So picky, that this is just the second recipe ever on this blog including it as an ingredient.

Maybe you guys can relate – spaghetti squash is not one of those “sure things”, have you been there? Overcooking it by just a few minutes leaves it mushy, and tasting like flavorless, well, squash, rather than anything remotely related to pasta.

On the flip side, undercooking it by just a few minutes leaves it far too stringy and “raw” tasting, in my opinion – once again, nothing at all like spaghetti.

Perfectly cooked spaghetti squash is tossed with a flavor-packed paleo & Whole30 pesto sauce and seasoned chicken for a filling meal even squash haters will love! Great for leftovers too! Paleo, Whole30, dairy free and low carb.

Ingredients

• 1 med/med-large spaghetti squash
• 3/4-1 cup my favorite Paleo/Whole30 Pesto recipe this recipe makes extra, use as much as you need to fully toss with your spaghetti squash
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts thin sliced or pounded to 1/2" thickness
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil ghee, or other cooking fat, to sauté the chicken
• Sea salt pepper, and onion powder to season chicken

Instructions

1. First, roast the squash (you can do this step a day ahead of time, or during your meal prep and simply store the cooked squash in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment.
3. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise using a large sharp knife. Scoop out (I use a large spoon) the seeds and strings, then place face-down on a foil lined baking sheet.
4. Roast in the 425 oven for about 20 minutes or until the squash can be pushed from the outside a bit with your finger. Do not over cook or it will be mushy! Once you remove the squash, lower the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Allow the squash to cool enough to handle, and, using a fork going lengthwise down the squash, remove spaghetti strings from both sides of the squash and place in a large bowl.
6. To "drain" the squash, squeeze once or twice between paper towels to absorb excess moisture, as you would with frozen spinach, for example. This step is important to get the texture of the dish right, no mushy, watery spaghetti squash!
7. While the squash roasts, you can prepare your pesto using this recipe, or prepare it ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use.
8. While the squash rests, cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over med/med-hi heat and add your cooking fat. Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt, pepper, and onion powder on both sides, then add to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center. Remove from pan to a plate, and allow to cool a bit. Once cool enough to handle, slice or chop into bite size pieces.
9. In a casserole dish, gently toss the spaghetti with the chicken and pesto to fully coat, (about 1 cup)
10. You'll have enough extra pesto - don't drown the spaghetti squash in pesto! Save it for another use.
11. Put the casserole dish in the oven for about 10 minutes, or enough time to fully heat through and blend everything. Remove and serve!
12. Additional delicious add-ins include cooked and crumbled bacon, and lightly roasted cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Prep time includes the time needed to cut and scoop the squash, and make the pesto. Cook time includes the time to cook the squash and chicken

Recipe Source:paleorunningmomma.com