Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Mushrooms and Spinach

Grand Prize winner: Cooking Light Market Basket Challenge.

"This recipe is a variation of a go-to pasta recipe I make often. I wondered how it would work using spaghetti squash for a pasta stand-in." -- Claudia Krempp, Plainfield, IL

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1  (3.5-pound) spaghetti squash
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
• 2  slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 1  pound  chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1.5  cups  chopped onion
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  Poblano pepper
• 8  ounces  sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1  teaspoon  Italian Seasoning
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 1/4  cup  cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 1 1/4  cup  cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 6  ounces  fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2  cup  grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

Cut poblano in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 °.

4. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash halves cut side down in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Add water to measure 1/2-inch deep. Bake at 400 ° for 45 minutes. Turn squash over; bake an additional 15 minutes or until tender; cool. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove strands to measure 6 cups. Keep warm.

5. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Cool and crumble. Increase heat to medium-high; sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to drippings in pan and cook 4 minutes; remove from pan.

6. Heat remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan and cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, reserved bacon, Poblano, garlic and Italian seasoning to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add wine to pan and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add reserved chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, and spinach to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly; stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Place about 1 cup squash on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1 cup chicken mixture and 2 teaspoons remaining cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

296

Protein:

31.2g

Carbohydrate:

23.8g

Fiber:

2.4g

Cholesterol:

67mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

707mg

Calcium:

241mg