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.

If you are new to making butternut squash noodles with chicken or cashew sauce, don’t worry, I’m here to help!

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 there of). Don’t be shy with sea salt and fresh black pepper.

In this recipe, I saute the squash in clarified butter (ghee, butter or olive oil well too).

how to make cream sauce using cashews

I’m currently not eating dairy because I suspect my body doesn’t process it well so I’m doing a little experiment.

The good news is that cashew sauce is a fantastic substitute for a cream sauce. Again, that may not be familiar to you but it’s so easy.

I like to make a batch and keep it in the fridge. Then, any time I need a non-dairy cream, it’s available.

To make cashew cream, simply soak cashews for about an hour to soften them. Add water, cashews, 2 cloves of garlic and sea salt to a high-powered blender or food processor. I use a Ninja. Blend until it’s a smooth consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally. That’s it—easy breezy lemon squeezy!

Now that you have cashew sauce and butternut squash noodles, it’s simple to put everything together in ONE pan.

how to make butternut squash noodles with chicken

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

While the chicken is cooking you can make the cream sauce by combining cashew sauce, chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth), nutritional yeast and seasoning.

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.

Once chicken is cooked (4-5 minutes, depending on how small the pieces), remove the chicken. 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 squash has reached your desired firmness, add the sauce and chicken. Add more salt or pepper if necessary. Stir until everything is combined and take off heat.

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

5 from 6 votes

Recipe by Karen Lachman Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

448

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.

Ingredients

• Cauliflower cashew sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews, chopped

• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 tbsp. clarified butter or ghee

• 1 cup cauliflower florets

• 2 tsp. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

• fresh parsley or basil to garnish

• Butternut squash pasta

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

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 chicken breasts, diced*

• 6 cups spiralized butternut squash noodles* (2 10-12 inch butternut squashes)

• handful of spinach or kale

• 1/2 cup cauliflower cashew sauce (above)

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

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp.. fresh Italian herbs or 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs

• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

• 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1/2-3/4 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Directions

• For cashew sauce (can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge)
• Place raw cashews in a bowl and pour hot water over. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain water.
• In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the butter over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the drained cashews, cauliflower and 1 cup of water. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
• Transfer mixture to a high power blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper. Let it cool briefly and then blend until smooth. Add the fresh parsley or basil if desired.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• 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 about 5 minutes (depending on how big the pieces are). Remove chicken from pan when done and put aside.
  
• While chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Add cashew sauce, chicken broth, nutritional yeast, herbs, red pepper flakes, onion powder, salt & pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine. 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).
• Once the noodles have reached the desired firmness (about 5-7 minutes) add sauce and chicken. Stir to combine. Season to taste and remove from heat.
• 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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