Roasted Summer Squash and Chicken Pasta

I've hesitated to put up cooking posts, but I think I'm going to attempt a few. Goal will be easy, low-cal, and budget friendly. Hopefully someone finds this useful and not annoying. You know what I mean, some days I look at blogs and think, they have time to do {fill in the blank} and I haven't even showered yet!!? :) Reading this the other day put me in my mama place.

First up is Roasted Summer Squash and Chicken Pasta. There is no measuring required and only a handful of ingredients. I made this the other night for families that had babies several months ago -- hope they forgive my tardiness!

And don't stop reading if you hate squash and zucchini -- we've started tossing in all manner of veggies into our pasta -- asparagus, sweet peas, broccoli, etc. -- we all prefer them sauced up! K will eat them faster this way, and it leads to great dinner convo about how squash and zucchini are brother and sister.

I used 4 squash and 4 zucchini, washed and chopped earlier in the morning and threw in a ziploc bag with 1-2 T of garlic olive oil and a few shakes of Italian seasoning.

Then this is my supper secret weapon.
Once a month when split chicken breasts are on sale for $0.99/lb, I get 3-4 packs and bake them up. Line 9x13 dishes with foil, add 1/4 c water to each and 3-4 chicken breasts per pan. Bake at 350 for an hour and test with meat thermometer. Cool, dice, and throw in containers to use over the next month or two. There are a zillion recipes that call for chopped, cooked chicken. I can barely get dinner on the table some days much less have time to do two big cooking steps, so these containers tucked away help a ton. Microwave for a min or two then add to recipes. The less I have to touch raw chicken in my lifetime the better.

Here are the last few ingredients -- box of whole wheat thin spaghetti, fire roasted diced tomatoes (2), and Classico alfredo sauce (2).

Yes, alfredo sauce. I said low cal, and surprisingly, I looked one day {when we were totally tired of red sauce} and it is! The pasta is also low cal -- 140 cals per serving if you serve 10. Then I use two jars of alfredo sauce -- 80 cals per serving. So 220 per serving for the big hitters -- I don't count cals for squash and tomatoes! Rough estimate of 300 calories per serving including veggies and chicken.
Preheat oven to 425. Throw your squash and zucchini on a tray lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil. spread them out so they're in a single layer.
Bake 8 minutes then start babysitting them every minute till they just start to turn brown. You could stop here and serve these as a side topped with parm. Yum!

Leave them to cool, cook and drain pasta, and return pasta to pot. Drain tomatoes and stir in all ingredients.

You should get 10-12 servings out of it....I am so not a food photographer, but we liked it! :)


{to print recipe, select just the recipe, select print from the menu, and click "selection" so you don't print the whole blog}


Roasted Summer Squash and Chicken Pasta
serves 10

4 summer squash
4 zucchini squash
1-2 T garlic olive oil (or regular and throw in 1/8 t garlic powder)
Italian seasoning (a few shakes)
olive oil spray
1 box Barilla whole wheat thin spaghetti (Barilla Plus is my fave)
2-3 c chopped cooked chicken
2 jars Classico Alfredo sauce (roasted red popper or sun dried tomato)
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

- Prep squash and zucchini ahead of time by chopping into bite sizes, putting in ziploc bag, and adding garlic olive oil and Italian seasoning. Shake around and keep in fridge.
- Preheat oven to 425 and get pasta water set to start boiling.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, spray with olive oil, and arrange squash and zucchini in a single layer.
- Bake 8 minutes on your top rack then start watching for them to brown. You may even want to broil them for a minute to help them along at the end.
- Remove from oven and let cool on tray.
- Boil pasta for 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain. Do not rinse and return back to pot.
- Drain the fire roasted tomatoes well.
- Put all remaining ingredients in the pasta pot and mix well.
- Serve topped with parm!

*I delivered this with caesar salad and slices of symphony pie

- variations: use chicken/quartered artichoke hearts/chopped roma tomatoes/mushrooms, chicken/sweet peas/asparagus, or any variation that suits your audience! Switch the sauce to red and it's a totally different dish.