I used to think pasta was healthy. Whole grain pasta, at least. I read labels in the grocery store, selecting the brands with the fewest ingredients, made with only 100% whole grain. I always had pasta in my pantry (and by “pantry” I am obviously referring to my assigned shelf in a kitchen shared with 1-3 roommates). It was quick, easy, cheap, and I could make it with almost anything (or almost nothing if my cabinets were pretty bare). I ate pasta at least once a week through undergrad and into the beginning of law school.
As I got older, I started to pay more attention to things like calories and serving sizes. Do you know the size of one serving of pasta? TWO OUNCES!! Do you know how much-or should I say how little-two ounces is? About half a cup. If you put half a cup of pasta into a normal sized bowl, it looks like NOTHING (What is this-a bowl of pasta for ANTS?)! I realized that every time I made pasta, I was eating 400-600 calories just in the noodles. That didn’t include sauce, veggies, meat, or CHEESE! Once I realized that my typical pasta dinner was probably in the 1000 calorie range, I moved pasta into the “treat” category and so it has remained.
After pretty much giving up pasta, I realized something: I didn’t really like it that much. Now, every time I order it at a restaurant I am almost always disappointed. I thought it would be difficult to quit pasta, but the only real challenge was finding a new weeknight, go-to meal.
In my quest, I discovered spaghetti squash. I don’t find it to be a perfect replacement for pasta. If you want a thick, creamy, comforting bowl of fettucine alfredo, or are homesick for your mom’s spaghetti, this will not do. But if you want a cheap, quick, and healthy weeknight vehicle for cheese, veggies, or pasta sauce, it will fit the bill quite nicely. Also, those squash keep a long time on the counter, even longer in the fridge so, while it doesn’t have the shelf-life of pasta, it’s fairly easy to keep on hand.
Spaghetti squash is very easy to cook. Just cut in half, lengthwise, remove the seeds, smear it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and pop it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. The squash is done when you can barely pierce the outside and the flesh pulls apart easily with a fork. It will look similar to very thin noodles.
The chicken and sauce in the recipe come together quickly. Minus the roasting time of the squash, this could easily be prepared in under thirty minutes. If pressed for time, just serve with a small serving of regular pasta or another vegetable.
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (split in half-or use cutlets)
- ¾ c. bread crumbs (I used Panko but I think regular would work)
- ½ c. whole wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 2-3 Tbsp. water
- Olive Oil-for frying
- 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup capers (or less, to taste)
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Pre-heat oven to 400.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, remove seeds.
- Drizzle olive oil over squash, sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Place flesh side down on foil-lined pan.
- Place squash in pre-heated oven, bake for approximately 35 minutes, depending on size of squash. The squash is done when the outside skin can be barely pierced with a fork. When it is done, the squash should be easily removed with a fork and come off like noodles.
- Place chicken between wax or parchment paper and pound very thin using a meat mallet (or if you are like me and don't have a meat mallet, a coffee mug).
- Set up dredging stations by placing flour, egg+water, and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls near skillet. Season flour with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in skillet to medium-high.
- Dredge chicken first in flour, then egg+water, then bread crumbs.
- Fry chicken in olive oil until browned on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from pan and drain most of the olive oil. You can leave a little in the pan if you prefer. I like to leave the crumbs for flavor, but you can wipe the skillet if you prefer.
- Reduce heat to medium low.
- Melt butter in skillet.
- Add flour, stirring constantly until combined.
- When flour and butter are combined and start to foam, add wine and lemon juice. Continue stirring constantly until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add capers.
- Remove spaghetti squash from oven. Let cool or handle with great care. Turn squash flesh side up and scrape with fork. It will look like short noodles. Top with chicken and sauce, to taste.