Spicy Chicken Sausage “Pasta”

There is NO pasta in this recipe, but you would never know it since spaghetti squash and broccoli slaw combined substitute for whatever your pasta of choice used to be.  Try it, I guarantee you will love all the flavors, and your family will join right in.  This recipe is great for gluten free food plans too.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 cups cooked and “shredded”
• 1 twelve ounce bag of broccoli slaw
• 4 links of fully cooked chicken sausage (I used Silva Chicken provolone another CostCo purchase at 140 calories/20 grams protein))
• 2 cups your favorite pasta sauce not to exceed 45 calories per ½ cup (I used Classico garlic basil since CostCo had it on sale)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Microwave spaghetti squash for 2-4 minutes, until soft enough to cut.  Halve lengthwise, scoop and discard seeds.  Fill a large baking pan with ½ inch water and plash squash cut sides down and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.
2. While squash is cooling, slice sausage links into coins and cut those in half.
3. Heat a large skillet sprayed with olive oil spray to medium and add broccoli slaw and ¼ cup water.  Cook covered for 4-6 minutes until mostly softened.  Drain off the excess water.
4. Add sausage pieces to heat, stirring to heat through.
5. Add pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, stir all ingredients together and simmer.
6. While pasta sauce is heating scrape squash strands with a fork and place in a strainer to drain excess moisture.
7. Transfer squash strands to 4 bowls and top with sausage/broccoli/sauce mixture.
8. Serve and top with a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese

Mangia!

Nutrition: 

Makes 4 very generous servings, each with about

• 284 calories and
• 27 grams protein