Spaghetti squash with pesto chicken

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A hands-off, 4-ingredient spaghetti squash dinner that’s fresh and healthy!

Happy Monday! Here is an easy, 4-ingredient dinner that is going to be a little lifesaver.

It’s very hands off. Most of the time for this recipe is the spaghetti squash cooking in the oven, leaving you free to do other things. Cause there’s always other things.

This past week we had a random summer fever virus pass through the house. M had it first and hardly spiked a fever so I wasn’t sure what was the matter with her. She stayed home from school one day and helped Mommy work (or not so much, as may have been the case). Then a few days later I got the call and had to go get J from school because he spiked a 103 degree fever. He was fine otherwise and kept me company while I tried to get the bare minimum done for my job that day. Thankfully, they each recovered in 24 hours, and we were all healthy and happy by the weekend.

But it made for a more challenging week. And this is one of my dinner go-to recipes on a challenging week. ‘Cause I want to eat well without a ton of effort.

Next time you find yourself scrambling to get everything done and need more time to focus on anything but dinner, get your spaghetti squash in the oven and get back to life. This easy all-in-one meal has you covered.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti squash with pesto chicken

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Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 50 minutes

Serves 4 servings (1/2 spaghetti squash each)     adjust servings

A hands-off, 4-ingredient spaghetti squash dinner that’s fresh and healthy!

Ingredients

• 2 spaghetti squash
• 2 heaping cups cooked shredded chicken (from 2 chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Prepare the spaghetti squash. Cut each squash in half lengthwise. Use a very sharp knife and be careful — they can be difficult to cut. If needed, poke it with a fork and microwave for 4-5 minutes to soften it slightly before cutting. Remove the seeds and inner pulp of the squash (much like cleaning out a pumpkin). Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake spaghetti squash for 35-45 minutes, until squash is tender. The cooking time will depend on how large your squash are. You can test it with a sharp knife and see if it easily pierces the other skin. Don’t let them go too long though, because the spaghetti strands will be mush.
4. Meanwhile, combine shredded chicken and pesto and stir well.
5. Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven. Use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash lengthwise to make strands that look like spaghetti. Just be careful - it’s hot!
6. Add the pesto chicken to the top of each spaghetti squash boat. Return to the oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, until warmed through.
7. Remove, top with the halved cherry tomatoes and serve, either directly in the spaghetti squash boat or transferred to a bowl.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 14kcal Calories from fat 9
% Daily Value
Total Fat 1g	2%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 3mg	1%
Sodium 10mg	0%
Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 1g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g