Paleo Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

Looking for more easy meal-prep meals? Here’s a great one! Paleo Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Chicken. 

I love January. The weather is cold, the air feels fresh, my birthday is around the corner (February), and it’s a NEW YEAR. You see, I’m not one of those “new year, new me” people, but I do really like to look back on the year and make goals for the next year.

One thing I love about the new year is the motivation in the air. The gym is filled with new people looking to achieve something, and that’s a good thing. I know some studies show resolutions don’t work, and people tend to fall off or fail. But I believe we should applaud anyone that’s trying to make a positive change in their life. 

If you haven’t noticed the trend, I am aiming to add more Whole30 approved recipes. This is because I’ve been eating very Whole30-ish during the week, and I hope to give you more options when meal prepping. This recipe was inspired by my best friend Claire. A few weekends ago, we meal prepped together for her week. She made a similar recipe to this Paleo Pesto Spaghetti Squash, a Turkey Chili, and Tomato Basil Soup.

Even though I don’t love Spaghetti Squash, I like this recipe because I love Pesto. After making the recipe with bite sized pieces of chicken, I think I would do it with shredded chicken next time. I really like to have a piece of chicken in every bite, so the shredded chicken would probably be better. Also another note is that when making the pesto, I used sunflower seeds. I did this because nuts are expensive, and I have a lot of college friends that make my recipes. If you like traditional pesto, use pine nuts! And if you want another variation, use walnuts. Lastly, this pesto is made without Parmesan cheese. This is because I wanted this recipe to be Whole30-compliant and dairy-free. Now let’s eat! 

Paleo Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

Whole30 compliant, great dish for meal prep

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Servings 4

Calories 599 kcal

Ingredients

  

For Pesto

• 3 cups basil leaves
• ½ cup sunflower seeds toasted
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves roasted
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Dish

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Pesto recipe

Instructions

 

For Pesto

• First toast the sunflower seeds and roast the garlic cloves, either in the oven or on a skillet with a bit of oil.
• Add all ingredients in your blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Check the taste, you may have to add more salt and pepper!

For Dish

• Place your spaghetti squash, whole, in the microwave on high for 4 minutes. Take the squash out, cut it in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Place the two halves, face down, in a baking dish with about 1 inch of water in it. Then place back in the microwave on high for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove the spaghetti squash and scrape the strands out of the squash and into a large bowl.
• In the meantime, while your squash is being cooked, heat the coconut oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Take out a piece and test to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
• Then add your chicken and pesto to the large bowl. Stir thoroughly, and serve hot.

Notes

You can buy pre-roasted sunflower seeds.
This recipe needs salt and pepper! Don't skimp on it!
If you aren't a fan of the microwave, cook the spaghetti squash in the oven on 400 for 40 minutes.