Servings: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash (about 2½ – 3 lbs.), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1–2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fine salt + more to taste
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- ½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced; plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (see Notes below for Instant Pot directions for cooking the squash)
- Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a plate over the bowl to cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the squash and chicken.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On one sheet, place halved squash cut side down. Place chicken thighs (or breast) on the other sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place baking sheets in preheated oven. Remove chicken after 25-30 minutes or when cooked through and no longer pink inside. Remove chicken and cover with foil or a plate.
- Allow squash to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until tender. While the squash bakes, it’s time to prepare the Alfredo sauce.
To prepare the Alfredo sauce:
- Drain cashews and place in the blender.
- Add nutritional yeast, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt and almond milk.
- Blend on high for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed, adding the additional clove of garlic and blending again if you’d like a more garlicky sauce.
- When squash is ready, carefully scrape flesh into a large bowl (or cast-iron skillet) using a fork to create strands of “pasta.”
- Add diced or sliced chicken and toss with Alfredo sauce. Place the skillet on the stove top over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until heated through or pop the entire skillet back into the still-warm oven for a few minutes to warm while you prepare a vegetable or salad side dish.
- Stir chopped basil into spaghetti squash mixture just before serving. Top with additional basil, as desired.
Notes
To cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot:
- Wash and pat the spaghetti squash dry. Lay the squash on its side and using a sharp knife, insert the tip of the knife into the center of the squash then cut the squash in half cross-wise (not lengthwise or end-to-end). Slicing it this way produces longer, more spaghetti-like strands and reduces the chances of cutting yourself.
- Scrape seeds from squash using a spoon.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the trivet/rack and place both halves of the squash into the Instant Pot and secure the lid.
- Flip vent valve to ‘sealing’ position and cook for 8 minutes at high-pressure for a large squash (6-7 minutes for a smaller one). Allow for 5 minutes of natural pressure release before manually releasing any residual pressure.
- Remove squash to a cutting board or baking dish and allow it to cool for a few minutes before using a fork to pull the strands from the skin.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe (about 1 ½ cups)
- Calories: 319
- Fat: 14g
- Sodium: 306mg
- Carbohydrate: 22g
- (Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 8g)
- Protein: 28g