Spaghetti Squash and Chicken with Garlic Alfredo Sauce


Originally posted by Jess – September 20, 2015

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Hello to my Fellow Springdellians!  Jess Here.  What a perfect day for Apple picking!  The Bucks and the Andersons could not resist picking a few more apples today in preparation for the wintertime stash of applesauce.  A beautiful morning followed by a scrumptious dinner!

Today we are going to dive in to one of my favorite share items, the spaghetti squash.  This beautiful veggie is nothing short of a miracle, as when it’s cooked just right it creates the illusion of pasta.  Not only is it a healthy substitute for pasta, it’s gluten-free, too!  Like pasta, spaghetti squash can be a little bland on its own.  Also like pasta, it can be a wonderful canvas on which to paint a variety of sauces.  

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It is possible to roast your spaghetti squash whole, it is even possible to microwave a spaghetti squash.  Today, however, we’ll halve it before roasting it in the oven. To do so, start with a super sharp knife (do be careful) and cut around the squash lengthwise as shown above.  Scoop out the seeds with a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great!)  Place your squash in a baking dish with the cut part down in about 1/2 inch of water (just enough water to make a little seal near your flat edge.) Roast your squash at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the skin is tender when pierced with a fork.

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Flip it upside down and scrape the insides out with the tines of a fork.  As you drag your fork across the squash, you should start to see strings that resemble pasta.

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This is way healthier than traditional pasta, and hence, I usually don’t feel so bad when I splurge a little on the sauce ingredients (I’m talking about you, Parmesan cheese!) Tonight I went with a creamy and garlicky Alfredo sauce.  All you need is milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, cream cheeese, cornstarch, nutmeg, garlic, parsley and an appetite! (Chicken and sage are optional add-ons).

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In a medium saucepan, melt a good pat of butter (a tablespoon or so) before adding about 4 cloves of minced garlic. Cook over medium heat until the garlic becomes fragrant (after a minute or two) add a tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk it for just a minute before starting to slowly add a cup of milk as you whisk. (Pour in too fast and you might end up with some lumps.) If you have some handy, a little dollop of cream cheese is great to add at this point. Continue to whisk as all the flavors are incorporated.

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Next, add about a cup of Parmesan cheese, whisking until melted. You can opt to add up to a 1/2 cup additional milk to your sauce until you achieve the desired consistency. It’s pretty gooey and cheesy.

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A sprinkle of nutmeg into the sauce a nice, start with a little and add to taste as needed. 

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I sautéed some medallions of chicken to add to the mix, but these are optional.

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Once you achieve the desired taste to your sauce, mix all but a few tablespoons of the sauce into the squash. You should find the squash to mingle with the gooey sauce in a way that becomes very creamy, almost like a Risotto.

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Salt and pepper to taste, top with chicken (if using) and extra sauce and you are good to go! Tonight I used a little parsley for color. Sage leaves crisped in butter then crumbled is also a wonderful addition. I went for this large flat serving dish, but you could also use the natural bowl created from the hollowed out spaghetti squash.

imageHowever you present it, I hope you’ll find it as delicious as we did!  We dug into this pretty fast – so fast that I forgot photos of the accompanying salad.  The salad was good too, so I’ll make it again and feature it soon.  Until tomorrow, sweet and savory dreams!


About Jess

Jess Anderson is the creator of CSA|365 and is passionate about the local food movement. A long time member of Springdell and a busy mother of two, Jess loves keeping her family fed by honest local food.