WINTER

BUTTERNUT SQUASH ALFREDO WITH CHICKEN & SPINACH

Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a nutritional powerhouse of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It adds flavor to meals while being low in calories and high in fiber. Butternut squash is an orange-fleshed winter squash, celebrated for its versatility and sweet, nutty flavor. Though commonly considered a vegetable, butternut squash is technically a fruit. Butternut squash has many health benefits, and the added bonus of lasting months in storage (in a cool, dark place like a closet or pantry) so you can enjoy the late fall harvest well into the winter.

Butternut squash contains many beneficial vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. One cup of butternut squash contains almost 500mg of potassium, 7 grams of fiber, a ton of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, manganese, potassium, and more. All of these elements can help prevent high blood pressure, aid in gut health, improve eyesight, protect skin and keep bones strong, boost immune function, and reduce inflammation. It is a very versatile food, able to be transformed and cooked in many different forms and dishes. In the recipe below, a butternut squash is transformed into pasta!

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine (optional)

1 pound chicken tenders (or favorite form of chicken)

8 large cloves garlic, peeled

8 cups spinach

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 3 tablespoons, divided

½ cup sour cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

⅛ teaspoon ground pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Using a spiral vegetable slicer or a julienne or regular vegetable peeler, cut squash into long, thin strands. You should have about 10 cups of squash "noodles."

Combine broth, wine, chicken and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the garlic is soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the squash noodles in the boiling water, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Drain in a colander for 3 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board; chop or shred into bite-size pieces. Transfer the garlic and broth to a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup Parmesan, sour cream, butter, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the chicken and cook for 1 minute more.

Pour the chicken mixture over the squash noodles. Serve topped with the remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan and parsley.