Parmesan Spaghetti Squash with Chicken
- PREP 20min
- COOK 50min
- TOTAL 1hrs 10min
If you find plain spaghetti squash dull, I highly recommend trying this spaghetti squash with chicken! It’s super flavorful and delicious. What used to be boring turns into something that’s almost impossible to stop eating. I love chicken thighs, but you can substitute chicken breasts if you’d prefer.
You Will Need
1 medium spaghetti squash, 2 ½ to 3 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for roasting the squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lemon, halved
3/4 cup grated parmesan, pecorino or a mixture, 2 ounces
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Roast Spaghetti Squash
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet (or large baking dish) with parchment paper.
Use a heavy chef’s knife to cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Pierce the knife into the middle of the squash and cut it from stem to end, but don’t try to cut through the stem (it’s too tough). Remove the knife, then pull the two halves apart.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Lightly drizzle the cut side of each squash half with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash on the baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
Roast the spaghetti squash halves until they are soft and easily pierced with a knife, 40 to 50 minutes.
Prepare Chicken
Start cooking the chicken about 20 minutes before the squash finishes baking. Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks, season with salt, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter sizzles, add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the juice of half a lemon and cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
When the squash is ready, flip the halves so that the cut side is facing up and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Run a fork through the flesh to separate the “spaghettilike” strands, and place in the skillet with chicken. Stir in most of the cheese, parsley, and some fresh ground pepper. Serve with more cheese and an extra squeeze of lemon juice on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cutting the squash: This spaghetti squash video shows you two ways to cut the squash. I highly recommend watching.
- Microwave the squash: If you are short on time, you can microwave the squash. See how to cook spaghetti squash to learn how we do it.
- Roasting the spaghetti squash seeds: You can roast them just like pumpkin seeds! Use our roasted pumpkin seeds recipe as a guide.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We omitted salt from the calculations since you will need to add to your tastes.