One comfort food I crave from time-to-time is the chicken alfredo from the Olive Garden. Because that dish is almost 1,500 calories with basically no nutritional value, I wanted a healthier alternative. This version still satisfies my desire for a silky, creamy sauce, succulent chunks of chicken, and noodles I can twirl my fork in. Except, this recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Win. Win. Win.
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
2 cups of cooked chicken, cut however you’d like (either shredded, cubed, or cut into strips)
For the sauce:
1 cup of raw cashes, soaked for a few hours in warm water
2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil
Juice of 3-4 lemons
1 garlic bulb
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the garlic bulb in half and rub with oil. Place in a small baking pan. (You don’t have to bake the garlic but since the oven is on to bake the squash, might as well sweeten the garlic too.)
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and place face down on a baking sheet (separate from the baking pan the garlic is in). Add enough water to the baking sheet so that the edges of the squash are covered. Place both the squash and the garlic in the oven to bake.
Once the outside of the garlic is translucent, take it out and blend it with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until really smooth. That’s how easy the sauce is.
After about 30 minutes, check the squash. It’s done if you can easily spear it with a fork. When the squash is cool enough to handle (or use a dry towel to hold it), take a fork and scrape out the seeds to discard. Then, scrape out the strands, starting from the outside and working your way in.
Toss together the spaghetti squash, alfredo sauce, and chicken. Voila!
