Spaghetti squash chicken alfredo has become a favorite of mine and is a great alternative to pasta.  Regular pasta does not have much flavor to begin with, so replacing it with a vegetable is quite easy. Creaminess and flavor of alfredo are retained in this recipe but fettucine is replaced with a nutritious vegetable. Your body will feel much better after eating this and not like it’s naptime (Olive Garden, anyone?)

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Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo

Spaghetti squash chicken alfredo is relatively easy to make. See Budget Bytes’ post on how to slow cook a squash, making the process much easier. Other than cooking the squash, you can make this meal come together in 15 minutes. Prepare ahead of time using a slow cooker or just plan ahead to make this a quick meal. 

Spaghetti squash is a little watery and will thin the sauce placed upon it. Alfredo is thick and creamy, so in this case it works well together. Using a red tomato sauce with squash may cause a watery dish. You can strain the water out of the spaghetti squash after it has cooled with a cheesecloth or tea towel, if you prefer. 

You could also cook the chicken ahead of time (especially in an instant pot), so it is ready and can be thrown together with the cooked mushrooms and sauce instantaneously. 

Mushrooms don’t appear to be a preference to many people, so don’t bother putting them in if you don’t prefer them. Flavor is deep with mushrooms relative to the creaminess so they are the chosen ones. Zucchini or asparagus could be used instead, or just chicken. 

Benefits of Spaghetti Squash

You’d expect the alfredo sauce to be the unhealthy part because of the butter and milk. On the contrary, it is the pasta that is less nutritious. Butter has plenty of benefits and so does whole fat milk (see my post here on how fats don’t make us fat). Pasta can cause a spike in blood sugar, leading to other issues over time (another post on carbs). You can expect a lot of calories for less benefit when consuming pasta. Typically pasta is fortified with B vitamins and folate, though these can come from natural sources just as well. Spaghetti squash has a ton of nutrients while also being low in calories if you care about it. 

• Antioxidants (vitamin A&C) for immunity and reduced cancer risk
• Vitamin B6 for healthy nerves
• Fiber for digestion
• Manganese for strong bones and potassium for healthy muscles
• Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for healthy cells

Fresh Flavors: Spaghetti squash chicken alfredo is a nutritious, healthy alternative to the classic pasta dish.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliated links.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo

Spaghetti squash chicken alfredo is a nutritious, healthy alternative to the classic pasta dish

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 spaghetti squash cooked
• 1 pound chicken breast sliced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp parsley dry or minced

Instructions

 

Bake Spaghetti Squash

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush olive oil, salt and pepper on each half. Put face down on foiled sheet (for easy clean up). Bake up to 45 minutes or until it easily "spaghettis" with a fork

Cook Chicken & Mushrooms

• Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add sliced mushrooms and cook. Add cut chicken and cook until no longer pink. Alternatively, bake chicken in the oven while the squash is cooking, about 20-30 minutes

Cook Alfredo Sauce

• Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour to the melted butter and use a whisk to mix. Add the milk and whisk, do not let it burn. Once the milk is heated and a little thicker, add the cheeses and whisk them in until melted. If too thin, add more flour. If too thick, add more milk

Notes

You can sub half & half or heavy cream for the whole milk. I have not tried any non-dairy milks for this recipe. I like to cook the chicken in the instant pot or crock pot if there's time, so it shreds easily and it's ready to go. Feel free to use any veggie in place of the mushroom or none at all.   Mindyfresh is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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