Good for you Pasta Bowls will all the flavor and more vegetables, less carbs!

That was the goal of this juicy chicken and pasta bowl.

Now I’m a girl who grew up with Pasta Sunday, and I still look forward to a big serving, but with a healthier twist that isn’t going to give my belly a pooch and have me slumping down on the sofa for the rest of the evening in a carbohydrate coma.

It is always a great idea to choose boneless chicken thighs if you don’t want to take the chance of getting a dry breast. Thighs just have more flavor, and according to Dr. Oz in his White Chicken Meat vs. Dark Chicken Meat episode by Food Journalist Mark Schatzker, we have been trained our whole life to go for the white meat as a healthier option but is it? That being said, if you use perfectly roasted chicken breasts in this recipe, they would be delicious too, just not as foolproof. There is definitely a time to use them, like in my new chicken salad recipe with lemon pepper and strawberries here! The key is they have to be roasted to perfection and not taken a minute beyond 165°F.

Now, onward!

I like to roast my spaghetti squash the day before in the oven while I am making that night’s dinner, let it cool, then shred it into noodles with a fork and refrigerate it until the next day when I plan to make this dish. You can also completely do it in the same day.

You are killing two birds with one stone, and saving a bunch of time by prepping it a day in advance.

This is a super flavorful pasta with beautiful oregano, basil and garlic all over the cubed thighs that are browned on the stove and then finished in the oven in 20 minutes total time. While the thighs are roasting, the rest of the ingredients can be prepped. Then you pour the chicken juices (broth) with all the seasonings right over the pasta. There is not a lot of fat in it because the chicken in skinless, but there is a Lot of Flavor!

Sundried Tomato, Basil, Chicken Pasta

1 Roasted Spaghetti Squash, cooled and shredded into “noodles”

1 Red Onion, Diced

2 Tablespoons of EVOO

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil Packed Organic Sundried Tomatoes, diced

1 Cup of Sliced Scallions (green onions)

1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil

1 Can of Organic Mushrooms, drained

2 Pounds of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

1 Tablespoon of Dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon of Dried Basil

1 Tablespoon of EVOO

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Cloves of Minced Garlic

Directions:

Roast you spaghetti squash up to a day in advance. To roast the squash, preheat your oven to 400° degrees F. Split your spaghetti squash from stem to end and remove the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place it cut side down onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast 45 minutes to an hour, or until the top of the squash is soft when pressed.

Remove from the oven, and flip upright to cool completely. Shred the squash with fork tines. If using later, cover and refrigerate.

On the day you are making the dish:

Preheat the oven to 400° degrees F.

Whisk together the basil, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Brush the seasoning over your boneless chicken thighs. In a large skillet, brown the chicken thighs on each side for five minutes, using a little more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer the chicken thighs to a parchment lined cookie sheet, and place in the oven to finish cooking through for approximately ten minutes, or until the thermometer reaches 165° F. Remove the thighs from the oven, and when cool enough, cut each thigh into quarters. Reserve the chicken juices from the pan, this is the broth!

In the same uncleaned pan you used to cook the chicken, you will make the sauce. All the brown bits from the chicken are little nuggets of flavor.

Brown the diced red onion in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add the sundried tomatoes, scallions and mushroom, and stir warming and incorporating them into the cooked onions. Now, add the previously prepped spaghetti squash and the chopped fresh basil. Toss with tongues to coat and evenly distribute the vegetables.

Add the chicken pieces and juices from the chicken to the “noodles” heating and incorporating gently.

Serve!