Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (2½ to 3 pounds)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2 cups 2 percent milk
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (or 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
Chef notes
This is a recipe that is rich, delicious, healthy and satisfying. Spaghetti squash is full of fiber and vitamins, only has 42 calories per cup and it tastes so good in this sauce.
Technique tip: I like to cook the squash whole versus cutting it in half to roast. Like most winter squash, spaghetti squash is really hard and difficult to cut. By cutting a few slits in the squash and cooking it whole, it's very easy to then cut it in half and remove the seeds after cooking.
Swap option: The sky is the limit with swaps in this recipe! Try it with leftover chili and cheddar, use a rotisserie chicken and add buffalo sauce or add spinach and artichokes. Get creative!
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.With a sharp knife, carefully cut about four 1/2-inch slits in the squash to allow steam to escape while it cooks. Put the squash on a baking sheet and roast for about 1½ hours. Let the squash cool for about 20 minutes on the baking sheet.
3.Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Blanch the broccoli briefly in the boiling water, and then transfer to the ice bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
4.Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. With a large fork, pull the squash fibers away from the outer peel (use a towel to hold the squash in place if necessary). Reserve the squash and the outer peel.
5.Preheat the broiler.
6.Put the milk and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat and heat until it just begins to simmer, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the Neufchatel cheese, Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and stir until melted. Turn off the heat, stir in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic. Add the squash, chicken and broccoli and toss to coat. Divide the mixture between the reserved squash peels. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
7.Place the stuffed squash onto a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
