Does it still count as eating your vegetables if it includes butter, cream and cheese? This time of year, I think the answer is definitely yes. If you agree, then you should for sure try this sundried tomato three cheese spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash in my mind can be pretty bland and even with a yummy three cheese alfredo sauce I was still underwhelmed when I first made this dish. It needed something extra to bring in a bold flavor, which is exactly what the sundried tomatoes do. Then by adding chicken and spinach it turned into a filling, flavorful meal. For this particular recipe I cooked the spaghetti squash first in a pressure cooker, which made it super easy and didn’t take very long. I’ve also learned over the years that spaghetti squash retains a lot of water so it can make everything pretty soupy, so I kept the sauce really thick initially. Once I added the spaghetti squash it thinned out to the perfect consistency and even reheated well the next day. This recipe is a great way to enjoy spaghetti squash that still tastes delicious and makes you forget you are eating a vegetable.
Sundried Tomato Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup milk I used 1%
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes diced
- 1 cup chopped thin chicken breasts
- 2 cups spinach
- 4 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half width wise and using a large spoon scoop outside the seeds in the middle. Add 1 cup of water to a pressure cooker and set the spaghetti squash inside the pressure cooker with the cut side facing up. Put the lid on and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to sit for a few minutes once done and then release the vent valve. Remove the lid and take out the spaghetti squash. Caution they will be very hot so use a towel to remove. Allow to sit for a few minutes to cool.
- While the spaghetti squash is cooking heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cut up several thin sliced chicken breasts so that you have 1 cup of chopped chicken. Add 1 Tbsp of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until cooked all the way through about 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness.
- In a separate large skillet that can go in the oven make the sauce by heating the pan over medium heat and then melting the butter. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour until it is no longer white and fully combined with the butter. Pour the milk and cream together slowly into the pan whisking with each addition so the sauce is nice and smooth. Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes until it is just starting to thicken. Slowly add a little at a time of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir with a whisk with each addition so that the cheese melts and is incorporated in the sauce. Add the oregano, thyme and sundried tomatoes. Stir until all combined.
- Add the spinach and cooked chicken to the sauce. Keep the sauce on low heat and stir until the spinach is wilted. After the spaghetti squash has cooled for about 5 minutes use a fork to scrap out the inside of the squash into a colander. It should separate and look like strands of pasta. Once all removed discard the outside of the squash. Use a paper towel to gently press on the spaghetti squash to remove some of the excess moisture. Add the spaghetti squash to the pan with the sauce and stir until evenly coated. Pre-heat the broiler to 500 F.
- Add four slices of provolone cheese on top of the spaghetti squash mixture. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly. It should be starting to turn golden brown in small spots. Remove from the boiler and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
