Italian Chicken Pesto with Spaghetti Squash

This is a great new paleo version of your favorite Italian recipe with spaghetti squash. I like to sprinkle a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over mine.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 460 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise
• 6 links Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 pinch chopped fresh basil, or to taste
• 1 pinch chopped fresh rosemary, or to taste
• 1 pinch Italian seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash®), or to taste
• ⅓ (7 ounce) container pesto, or to taste
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Sprinkle squash with Italian seasoning and place upside-down on a rimmed baking tray. Add about 1 inch of water.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes; strands of squash should easily pull away when scraped with a fork.

Step 4

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Cook and stir sausage, uncovered, in the hot skillet until mostly browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli and bell pepper. Reduce heat to low and add squash strands. Sprinkle basil, rosemary, and Italian seasoning, on top and drizzle with olive oil. Stir in 2 big spoonfuls of pesto, adding more to taste, followed by sun-dried tomatoes. Let simmer over low heat for 2 to 5 minutes. Serve.