Low Carb Chicken Alfredo Recipe

So Hubby and I are still on our Sugar Free Journey and loving every minute.  We actually can taste FOOD – not have it masked by all of the sugar in processed foods.  

Hubby does most of the cooking and he is really good at it!  I am loving all of the great sugar free recipes he cooks.  Last night he made Low Carb Chicken Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash in place of the Fettuccine and it was sooo good!

Low Carb Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Where Does Alfredo Sauce Come From?

Contrary to common belief, Alfredo sauce isn’t actually called that in Italy.  While there are plenty of different pasta sauces based from a combination of butter and Parmigiano, they don’t use the name “Alfredo”.  

In Italy they refer to what we call Alfredo as “al burro”, meaning “with butter”. Often the residents of Rome call egg noodles with a Parmigiano and butter sauce: “alla Romana”, meaning Roman style.

So why is it called Alfredo?  Well, because the dish was created by a Roman restaurateur called Alfredo di Lelio.  He named his butter and cheese linguine dish after himself in 1914, which was quickly picked up by American tourists who were visiting Rome. 

According to legend, Hollywood actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford noticed the dish during their honeymoon and introduced it to their friends when they got back home.  This made the dish popular throughout the world. 

How Is This A Low Carb Recipe

Typically, people eat Chicken Alfredo with either fettuccine or linguine pasta.  But for those who are following a low carb diet, these two options are off the table. 

Instead, we’re using spaghetti squash, which is a particular type of squash that when you cut it open and bake it in the oven, you can then “shred” out its contents with a fork and it looks just like spaghetti. 

It’s a great substitute for any type of pasta, it’s just as filling and works well with red sauce or Alfredo.

So even if you’re on a low carb diet, you can still enjoy this whenever you’re craving a pasta dish.  Apart from being a low carb option, it goes well with a number of other flavors.  You can easily mix it with the following:

• Basil and thyme
• Bell Peppers
• Carrots
• Garlic and onions
• Mushrooms
• Parmesan or other cheeses
• Tomato sauce and tomatoes
• Vinegar

You may also like: Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch!

Tips For Cooking Spaghetti Squash

One thing that many people struggle with is preparing the spaghetti squash.  And since squash are usually thick walled, it can be difficult to cut through.  

In order to cut squash in half prior to cooking, you’ll need a very sharp knife and a cutting board that won’t slip on you.  One way you can stop the cutting board from moving around is to place it on a wrung-out kitchen or paper towel.  When you have prepared a flat surface to cut the squash safely, you can begin.

1. Rest the squash on the chopping board horizontally.  With your non-dominant hand, hold the squash in place. 
2. Cut off the top and bottom edges.  Make sure to keep your hand away from the knife. 
3. Turn the squash upright.  The wide end should be against the board so you can keep it stable when you slice.  Starting at the top, slice downward.  Make sure your hands are not beneath the knife. 

When you have successfully cut the squash in half, you can start preparing it to become spaghetti. 

Does It Really Taste Like Spaghetti Though?

So here’s the thing… you can’t really expect spaghetti squash to taste like pasta.  But once it’s cooked, the yellow flesh part of the vegetable separates into thin long strands that you can twirl around your fork like spaghetti.  Its texture is similar to angel hair pasta.  It also has a tender and chewy taste, but can be fragile. 

So yes, it looks and has a texture like pasta, but it’s not gonna fool anyone.  But once you get the hang of eating spaghetti squash, you won’t be turning back to regular pasta.  It’s delicious.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 boneless, chicken breasts

1 tsp Olive Oil

1/4 cup Butter

1 cup heavy Cream

1 1/2 Cups grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

     Alfredo Sauce:

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
2. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste, (optional 1 clove crushed garlic)
3. Simmer for about 5 minutes
4. Add cheese and whisk quickly until heated

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
• Cut squash in half lengthwise
• Scoop out seeds with spoon
• Place cut side down in a baking pan filled with enough water to cover 1/2″ of the squash
• Bake in oven uncovered for 35 – 40 minutes
• Cut chicken breast in strips
• Saute’ chicken in Olive Oil over medium heat until cooked through, but still tender
• Once chicken is cooked add Alfredo Sauce and stir until sauce is thoroughly heated
• Remove squash from oven, use fork to scrape out “meat” from inside squash.  It will look like spaghetti when you scrape with the fork.

• Place squash spaghetti in bowl add chicken and Alfredo mixture
• Toss and serve, you can add Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serves 4.

This was so good and so quick and easy, too!  You can also have Spaghetti Squash as a side dish! If you like healthy food, you can also take a look at this article from Proper Good.