Spaghetti Squash with Pesto Chicken
Spaghetti squash with pesto chicken and tomatoes is a hands-off, 4-ingredient dinner that’s light, fresh and healthy!
Yield: 4 servings (½ spaghetti squash each)
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash
- 2 heaping cups cooked shredded chicken (see notes)
- ½ cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Optional toppings:
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- 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.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, combine shredded chicken and pesto and stir well.
- 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!
- 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.
- Remove, top with the halved cherry tomatoes and serve, either directly in the spaghetti squash boat or transferred to a bowl.
Notes
Spaghetti squash: You can bake the spaghetti squash in the oven, as directed in the recipe card below. Or you can make Instant Pot spaghetti squash or even microwave spaghetti squash to cook yours if you'd rather.
Chicken: The chicken for this recipe needs to be cooked, so please plan accordingly. You can use rotisserie chicken or leftover baked or grilled chicken. You can also use Instant Pot shredded chicken or crock pot shredded chicken.
Pesto: My homemade basil pesto is super easy to make, but a store-bought pesto works great, too.
Tomatoes: I love the flavor of cherry or grape tomatoes, and they are reliably available and tasty year round, but you can absolutely substitute a different type of tomato if you'd like.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 322mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g
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