Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 medium-small spaghetti squash ((approx. 1.5 lbs each and 6-7 inches long))
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup pesto (plus extra to taste)
  • 1-2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
  • 1 extra large carrot ((shredded))
  • 1 medium red bell pepper pepper ((chopped))
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 6-8 oz shredded cheese
  • 1-2 TBSP fresh parsley to garnish

Instruction

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. For easy cutting, feel free to stick each squash in the microwave for 5 minutes to soften it up just a tad. The knife slides through way easier this way!
  • Next grab a lipped baking sheet or a rimmed baking dish.
  • To prevent sticking, rub the cut side of the squash with a teeny bit of olive oil or simply place a little water inside your baking dish. Both work great!
  • Place inside a baking dish or atop rimmed, lined baking sheet [some liquid will escape] and roast face-down for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
  • Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash, and the once rock-hard exterior of the squash will be visibly softened.
  • The squash can be roasted and stored in the fridge for a few days if you'd like to meal prep and plan ahead for a speedier dinner. You can also make the whole shebang one weekend and pop it in the fridge until about 30 minutes before dinnertime. Wind up with a little bit leftover? It reheats marvelously the following day! Now let's get back to the recipe!
  • While the squash roast, cook chicken via your favorite method or squirrel away leftovers from the previous night's dinner. I poached mine.
  • Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and toss with pesto.
  • Set aside.
  • In a small pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil to medium-high heat and sauté your bell pepper and carrot for a few minutes until tender. Next add the spinach and pesto chicken and stir to wilt the spinach.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Next add your cheese to the hot mixture. Mix a little over half the cheese in with the chicken and veggies and save the rest for topping.
  • To stuff the squash you can simply pile on your pesto chicken and veggies or fluff the squash first with a fork before stirring in all you yummy mix-ins so there's yummy squash in every bite!
  • Top with the rest of your grated cheese and cover the baking dish in foil, leaving a little room at the top [like a tent!] so the cheese doesn't stick.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for around 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and/or basil leaves and dig in!