I’m always looking for fun and creative ways to get more veggies in my diet so naturally I was curious about this yellow gourd with “Spaghetti” in its name. When cooked the flesh pulls apart in strands resembling the pasta for which it is named. But that is where the similarity ends. The pasta noodles are higher in calories and carbohydrates: 220 calories & 42 grams of carbohydrates versus 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates.

Now you may be thinking that since you run all the time you can afford the extra calories and you need the extra carbs to support your long runs. But here is where is gets interesting. The pasta has very little nutritional value and the squash is jam packed with all kinds of nutritional goodness perfect for a runner. Spaghetti squash is high in vitamins A and C as well as several of the B vitamins. It is also a good source of folate which not only may help prevent birth defects, but promotes cardiovascular health. Minerals that all runners need such as calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium and zinc can all be found in the the squash and not in the pasta.

My first attempt to cook spaghetti squash left me less than impressed. The second attempt never quiet happened. I bought it and it sat on my counter for at least 6 months before I finally threw it away. (By the way you can keep one for a couple of months before cooking it.)

When I went grain free, I decided I would do some research to see if there was an easier way to prepare the squash so it didn’t seem like such a hassle. I found this quick and easy method over at Empowered Sustenance. Since it doesn’t taste like pasta I decided to quit trying to treat it as a substitute for pasta and create a recipe that complimented its own flavor.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Spinach

Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 3 to 4 pound spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 chicken breasts (approximately 1.25-1.5 pounds) cut into bite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 cups packed baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and follow steps here to cook the spaghetti squash
• While squash is cooking, in a large bowl combine chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat chicken completely.*
• In a dutch oven or large skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 2 minutes until tender crisp. Add garlic, chili pepper flakes and rosemary and cook an additional 30 seconds.
• Add chicken and sauté until chicken is done.*
• Add cooked spaghetti squash and mix with other ingredients to coat the squash with oil.
• Add spinach and cook 3 to 4 minutes until wilted, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and sprinkle with apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

* You can substitute precooked chicken. I like to use the leftovers from a roasted chicken. Just eliminated these two steps. Add in the cooked chicken and heat until warm before adding in the squash.

It is important not to overcook the squash. You want the noodles to be firm and crispy and not soggy because it will still cook a little when you add it to the other ingredients.

Time saving tip: Cut up the onions and chicken the night before and keep in the refrigerator.

Want more veggies? Add a 1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers with the onions and/or add more spinach. Since the spinach wilts down so much you could easily double the amount in the recipe and not have too much.

Want more protein? Add a can of black beans before adding the squash.

This recipe was throughly enjoyed by my son, but not so much by my husband. We forgot to tell him it wasn’t pasta so it wasn’t quite what he was expecting!

Have you eaten or cooked with spaghetti squash? I’d love you hear about your experience. Please let me know in the comments below.