Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Chicken cacciatore with spaghetti squash. 

Being Italian means pasta is basically in my blood. Growing up it would be my 2 pm supper almost every single Sunday but, as we all know, Italian cooking can be a little heavy and is not the best choice due to all the carbohydrates. Since starting my wellness journey I have been looking for healthier alternatives to all my favorite staples but still being able to enjoy the taste of its original recipe. This chicken cacciatore with spaghetti squash hits right at home and has that authentic Italian flavor you can taste.

Tomato sauce was the base in my household as I was growing up. At the end of every August my family would get together at my grandparents to make homemade tomato sauce - enough to last until the next tomato sauce season.

This delicious Italian dish has two parts and meets in the middle to create something even bigger and better. The first part is the chicken cacciatore sauce and the second is the spaghetti squash. After putting the two together in a bowl, people will definitely be asking for seconds at your next dinner party.

Steps for Chicken Cacciatore Sauce

1. Heat up the sauté pan and add a touch of olive oil

2. While the pan heats up, season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper

3. Sear both sides of the chicken until golden brown

4. Once golden brown, place it into the crockpot 

5. Add diced onions to sauté pan and season lightly with salt then deglaze with chicken stock. This will extract the chicken essence onto the pan and help give the onions another flavor profile - you can substitute with water if chicken stock is unavailable*

6. After making sure the onions are translucent and there is no crunch, add all the rest of the ingredients into the crockpot and then give it a stir

7. Turn it to high for 1 hour, then to low for 7 hours

8. After the 8 hours of cooking, shred the chicken with a fork - careful not to burn yourself!
   
   Tip: If you do not have any burn cream, take a bowl, egg whites, and olive oil, whisk together and rub onto the burned area. This will help cool down the burn to prevent blisters forming.  Never put under running cold water or apply ice. You will get an instant blister.

Steps for Spaghetti Squash

1. Split squash in half, scoop out the seeds

2. On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper place both halves of the squash cut side up

3. Spray coconut oil on the squash and season with salt and pepper

4. Roast at 425F for 1 hour or until a knife can be easily pierced all the way through

5. After being roasted, let it cool

6. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash until it forms into a string like texture

Ingredients
1 jar Rao’s marinara sauce (my preferred store bought sauce)

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 yellow onion

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 spaghetti squash

This meal is great for me because  it is quick and easy to reheat when I am at work. I would recommend warming up the sauce first on a pan then adding in the spaghetti squash and garnishing with whatever you like. My favorites are freshly shaved parmesan cheese, chiffonade basil, red chili flakes, and Calabrian chili. Also, if you have an air fryer, you can pop in the spaghetti squash in and warm it up that way.

This recipe is so versatile and can be changed up in any way that fits your liking. There are different alternatives you can use instead of the spaghetti squash such as hearts of palm, cauliflower, and garbanzo pasta. Though I use Rao’s already made sauce because of the fast prep time, you can also make fresh sauce from scratch by using fresh Roma tomatoes, Early Girl, or San Marzano tomatoes when in season. 

This recipe holds a special place in my heart because of its Italian roots and I hope you all enjoy. Don’t forget to leave a comment if you tried it and let me know what you think!

Chef Dominick Maietta