March 3, 2009

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Mushrooms and Spinach

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 oyster 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 

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. 

Reduce oven temperature to 400. 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. 

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. 

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. 

Yield: 6 Servings CALORIES 296 ; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 241mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.8g; SODIUM 707mg; PROTEIN 31.2g; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 3mg; FAT (SAT 3.2G, MONO 3.4G, POLY 1.4G) 9.3g

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

NO WAY!!!!!!!!! I just had spaghetti squash last night (this may not seem all that crazy, but it is, b/c when do I ever cook???), and was going to e-mail you today to recommend it b/c it's so good!!!!!! Holy crap. I thik we're sisters.