I'm a fan of spaghetti squash as a pasta replacement. Sure, the texture isn't the same, but it gets the job done and has a real flavor, unlike pasta. My favorite way to prepare it is with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Two cups of spaghetti squash will run you about 85 calories and 20 grams of carbs. Much better :) Once I realized I could eat a heaping serving of spaghetti squash with meat sauce and come away with less than half the calories and carbs of regular spaghetti, I was sold.
I frequently look around for new spaghetti squash ideas, and I was hoping to come across an "alfredo" recipe. I found a recipe on another paleo food and fitness blog, tried it out, and wanted to share it here! Of course, I changed up a few things from the original recipe...I added more herbs because they're delicious :)
First, you'll need to bake your spaghetti squash. (Slice in half, scoop out seeds, bake at 375 for 50 minutes.) Because this step takes such a long time, you can make the spaghetti squash the night before, in the morning, or cook it in the microwave (15 minutes) instead of the oven.
Now it's time to get chopping. You'll need two pounds of bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs (or breasts if you must have white meat), then you'll need to chop up seven slices of bacon, and finally you'll need to chop up a large head of broccoli.
Cook chicken in a large skillet for about 10 minutes, or until all pieces are cooked through. Set aside chicken in a separate bowl. In the same skillet, add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. (This may take some time...you can chop the broccoli and gather seasonings while it cooks.)
Once the bacon is crispy, add 1 can of coconut milk (ignore the 1 cup in the picture...I used the whole can) and the following seasonings: 4 teaspoons dried basil, 3 teaspoons dried parsley, 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Allow mixture to simmer in pan for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add the chopped broccoli.
Stir broccoli into sauce and cook for 5-7 minutes. Next, add broccoli mixture and chicken into an oven-safe dish and cook in oven at 250 for about 20 minutes. This step isn't entirely essential, but I find that it helps the flavors mix together without over cooking the chicken and broccoli.
Serve over a heaping serving of spaghetti squash!
Here's a more compact recipe:
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 lbs chicken thighs
7 slices chopped bacon
1 large head of broccoli florets
1 can coconut milk
4 teaspoons dried basil
3 teaspoons oregano
3 teaspoons dried parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons thyme
pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Sprinkle squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Place squash on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Set aside. Lower oven to 250.
4. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Cook in large skillet for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
5. Add chopped bacon to skillet. Cook until crispy, about 10 minutes.
6. While bacon is cooking, chop broccoli into florets and gather spices and coconut milk.
7. Once bacon is crispy, add coconut milk and spices. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
8. Add broccoli florets to skillet and mix well with coconut milk and spices. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
9. Put broccoli mixture and chicken into an oven safe baking dish. Bake at 250 for 20 minutes.
10. Serve over spaghetti squash and enjoy!
This is such a flavorful dish! It is a tad time consuming, but it's worth the effort!
Good night!
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