Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Mushrooms and Spinach

Grand Prize winner: Cooking Light Market Basket Challenge.This recipe is a variation of a go-to pasta recipe I make often. I wondered how it would work using spaghetti squash for a pasta stand-in.

Yield:

6 Servings

Ingredients

1. 1 (3.5-pound) spaghetti squash
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3. 2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
4. 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
7. 1.5 cups chopped onion
8. 3 garlic cloves, minced
9. 1 Poblano pepper
10. 8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
11. 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
12. 1/2 cup dry white wine
13. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
14. 1/4 cup cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
15. 1 1/4 cup cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
16. 6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
17. 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. 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.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 °.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Notes