Spaghetti squash alfredo

I suppose I had better start sharing these spaghetti squash recipes with you before you have to get like five of them in a week. This stuff is my new obsession. We have it once a week if that tells you anything. Just like quinoa, and subbing cauliflower for potatoes, I'm not sure why I waited so long to try this!! I told you about me trying Rachel's spaghetti squash, and since then I've made it 3 different ways on my own. I'm telling you...if you're a pasta lover, this is life changing. Carbless pasta. I'm here for the sole purpose of making sure you don't walk the same path of mistakes as I have....and I'm telling you, don't wait another night to try this. Grab one on the way home and get to it!

Apparently Trader Joe's does not carry spaghetti squash, but Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart both did so there are options. I just bought the biggest ones I could find the first time, I wasn't sure how much they would yield. Turns out they put out more than you would think!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop the squash in half lengthwise. I hate to admit that I had to have Main Man take care of this part, those suckers are tough! I didn't want to cut myself hacking away at the thing due to my sheer stubbornness, so I gave in. I hate when I have to ask him to open jars or lift things...I work out, I'm not a wuss!!

Use a spoon to get all the seeds and cruckas out of the center of the squash, and then place facedown on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with Pam. Bake for 45 minutes.

 

 

Remove from the oven and take a fork to it. I'm serious that I thought this was going to be sooooo much more complicated. Just fork that shizz outta there and it turns all noodley looking. Pretty sweet stuff. And kinda fun if I'm not lying to you. I was amazed at how easy it was.

 

I even ate some plain and was impressed. I didn't know I was a squash lover!

 

For the rest of it, I just whipped together a standard alfredo that I would normally do for pasta. You can use whatever you want to throw in. You could use asparagus, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, spinach...whatever you've got in the fridge that you need rid of. That's how I cook :)

 

2 chicken breasts, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T olive oil

2 cups broccoli

1 cup cherry tomatoes

crushed red pepper to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 T italian seasoning

1 jar your favorite alfredo sauce (I use Classico light alfredo)

 

Warm your olive oil in your skillet and throw your minced garlic in to brown for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the diced chicken in to cook. Cook till there's no pink left and then add the broccoli and tomatoes (or whatever other fun veggies you're throwing into the party). After all veggies are softened, add your jar of alfredo sauce and your seasonings. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to combine all the flavas!

 

I have been baking my spaghetti squash on the weekends and putting it in a container in the fridge so its ready to go for the weeknight dinner bell. If you do as I do, throw a helping of spaghetti squash on a plate and into the microwave to warm, before covering with this luscious sauce of skinnied up goodness. You can even throw some garlic bread in the mix, because you're being SO good on carbs skipping the pasta noods. We do what we can :) I hope you enjoy as much as I do...stay tuned for the next couple installments of "Spaghetti squash, how do we love you, let us count the ways..." where I show you how I did a lasagna (yep, I went there and it was heavenly) and a shrimp scampi pasta (with no pasta)!