Paleo Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Chicken
on Dec 05, 2015, Updated Mar 03, 2024
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My favorite way to enjoy the traditional pasta dishes I miss is to use spaghetti squash. Before I discovered the wonderful spaghetti squash I had no idea what it was and certainly had no idea how to cook it. What I love about healthier eating is exploring new foods and finding new ways to enjoy the foods I always loved. Paleo Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Chicken is super simple to make and will certainly impress your family.
Now does spaghetti squash taste just as great as pasta noodles? No. However when you haven’t had pasta noodles in a while this will amaze you! If you don’t have a spaghetti squash on hand bust out your vegetable spiralizer and make some zucchini noodles. This pesto would taste great on just about anything.
Here are some simple instructions for making your spaghetti squash on the post here. Spaghetti squash is a winter squash but it can be found year round at traditional grocery stores. I aim for a price of around $1/pound. Spaghetti squash can even sit on your counter for up to 4 weeks without going bad so I usually always have 1-2 on hand.
You can serve these in the shells as pasta “boats” but they do serve 2-3 people each shell. I recommend dishing out individual servings.
Paleo Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 33oz. can whole artichokes in water, cut in half (I use the Kirkland brand)
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 2 cloves garlic
- handful fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup)
- handful fresh basil (about 1/2 cup)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 handfuls fresh spinach (about 1 bunch)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, cut spaghetti squash lengthwise, place cut side down on baking sheet and bake spaghetti squash for about 30 min. (do not over cook! You don’t want the noodles to be mushy)
- In a large pan on medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 minced garlic clove. Cook garlic for about 1 minute and then add in halved artichoke hearts. Cook until slightly browned.
- In a food processor combine the cooked artichoke, cashews, broth, and another garlic clove. Puree until smooth.
- Next add parsley, basil, some salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Puree again and taste. Add additional broth until you get your desired consistency. (I keep mine slightly thick so I don’t usually add any extra)
- Next cube your chicken and cook in same pan that was used for the artichokes with some salt and pepper.
- If your pan is big enough add 1/2 your pesto and all your spaghetti squash to the cooked chicken. Top with spinach and cook until wilted.
- Add remaining pesto, mix, and scoop squash back into shells.
- Broil on high until top is golden brown.
- Enjoy!
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