cozy butternut squash noodles with chicken and stunning cream sauce

Curl up with cozy butternut squash noodles with chicken for a healthy comfort food fest! Who knew comfort food could be good for you?

If you would have told me a couple of years ago that I’d be all over butternut squash noodles, I’d have never believed it.

Why?
It would have been too “out there” for me.
Just give me the real stuff!

However, I realized that I had to open my mind and be willing to try things if I wanted to stop feeling controlled by foods. By doing that, my world would open up to fresh new flavors, tastes, and experiences. That is part of the fork freedom philosophy—realizing that healthier foods can blow your mind. This butternut squash noodle recipe with chicken is a prime example!

Replacing habits is critical to breaking free from compulsive eating. The new habits will be uncomfortable at first but I promise, you will get to a point where they become second nature.

how to make butternut squash noodles

First, if you need convenience, butternut squash noodles can be purchased already in spiralized at most grocery stores. With that said, they do hike up the price so I like to make mine at home (and it really doesn’t take long).

It helps to have a spiralizer to make noodles out of butternut squash, zucchini or anything else. If you don’t have one, you can purchase through amazon and they’re fairly inexpensive. They really help if you want to increase your veggie intake and get creative with food!

If you don’t have a spiralizer, no worries, you can use a regular peeler and peel the butternut squash into strips (which will resemble tagliatelle pasta)! You will get a little bit of an arm workout but who doesn’t want stronger biceps?

It’s critical to season the squash well. I’ve had butternut squash noodles before that I didn’t care for because of how they were cooked and seasoned (or lack thereof). Don’t be shy with sea salt and fresh black pepper.

how to make cream sauce using cauliflowers

To this day, my family still doesn’t realize that the base for this sauce is cauliflower. For all they know, it’s traditional butter, flour, and cream (they really should know me better!).

This cauliflower cream sauce is very easy to make. Simply add broth and cauliflower to a pot, bring to a rolling boil and cook until the cauliflower. is nice and soft.

In the meantime, saute your garlic and 8 cloves is not a typo. Lots of garlic in this sauce and the flavor is amazing.

Once the cauliflower is soft and the garlic is sauteed, add everything to a blender with milk of choice, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You may need to do this in batches. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.

You can make this sauce ahead of time and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

how to make butternut squash noodles with chicken

Start by sautéing onions in clarified butter (sub ghee, butter, or olive oil) until they’re translucent. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Once the chicken is cooked (4-5 minutes, depending on how small the pieces), remove the chicken and onions. Add the butternut squash noodles and fresh spinach. The fresh spinach is optional but a great way to get extra nutrients! It’s flavorless so why not?

Season and cook the butternut squash until it softens, maybe 5 minutes (not too much—I think it works best al dente).

Once the squash has reached your desired firmness, add the sauce, chicken, and onions. Add more salt or pepper if necessary. Stir until everything is combined and take off the heat.

At this point, stir in the cheese or nutritional yeast. If you’re unfamiliar with nutritional yeast, it’s a common vegan cheese substitute and has a nutty, cheesy, and savory flavor. You can pick it up in most grocery stores or on amazon.

Serve with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, grated parmesan cheese or ground black pepper.

other pasta recipes you may like

• chicken sausage penne in easy tomato sauce
• turkey bolognese
• easy zucchini shrimp scampi
• best meatballs ever

other whole30/paleo recipes you make like

• copycat in-N-out burger (whole30, paleo)
• bacon cheeseburger soup
• Korean beef lettuce wraps
• skillet chicken with tomato basil ragu

what if you could…

enjoy desserts without feeling guilty afterward?

Life can still be sweet without refined sugar! Whether you need to lose weight, reduce your carb intake due to medical issues, or are simply looking for healthy recipes the entire family can enjoy, we’ve got just the guide to get you started!

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cozy butternut squash noodles with chicken and stunning cream sauce

4 from 10 votes

Recipe by Karen Lachman Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

293

kcal

You’ll fall in love with this dairy-free cream sauce option! Perfectly seasoned butternut squash noodles sautéed with spinach, chicken, and a flavorful cream sauce. Whole30, Paleo-friendly. Gluten, grain & dairy-free options.

Ingredients

• Cauliflower sauce

• 5-6 cups cauliflower florets

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably low-sodium)

• 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp. clarified butter or ghee

• 2 tsp. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

• 1/2 cup milk of choice

• 3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

• Butternut squash pasta

• 1 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. clarified butter* (sub ghee, butter or olive oil)

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces*

• 6 cups spiralized butternut squash noodles* (1 large or 2 smaller butternut squash)

• handful of spinach or kale

• 1/2 cup chicken bone broth (or regular broth)

• 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano, parmesan or nutritional yeast (for dairy-free)

• 1/2-3/4 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

• fresh parsley or basil to garnish

Directions

• For cream sauce (can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge)
• Add broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower florets and cook until soft (approx. 10 minutes).
• In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the butter over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
• Once cauliflower is soft, transfer cauliflower mixture, sauteed garlic, milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a high power blender or food processor. You may need to do this in batches. Once everything is blended, put aside.
• For butternut squash pasta
• Add 1 tablespoon of clarified butter (butter or olive oil) to a 12-inch heavy-bottom saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent (about 3 minutes). 
• Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes (depending on how big the pieces are). Remove chicken from pan when done and put aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of clarified butter (butter or olive oil) to the same pan. Add butternut squash and spinach. Sauté until noodles have softened (but not mushy), about 5 minutes.
• Once the noodles have reached the desired firmness (about 5-7 minutes) add sauce and chicken. Stir to combine. Add in cheese or nutritional yeast. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper if required.
• Serve immediately with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, shaved parmesan or nutritional yeast or ground black pepper.

Notes

• Clarified butter removes the milk proteins found in butter and leaves only the good fats (yes, fat is good, I swear!). This is a good option if you’re staying away from dairy. It’s very easy to make! For instructions, go here.
• To make this vegan, substitute portabella mushrooms for chicken. Also, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth

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