Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Brown Butter Walnuts & Crisped Sage

Pasta Base

• Olive Oil, As Needed
• 1 Spaghetti Squash, Halved with Seeds Removed
• Salt & Black Pepper, to Taste Preferences
• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Walnut & Sage Topping

• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 Large Handful of Fresh Sage Leaves

Mushroom-Sage Cream Sauce

• 150 Grams (1 Pkg) Umami Mushrooms
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Diced
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion, Diced
• 1 Large Handful of Fresh Sage Leaves, Chopped
• 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• Olive Oil, As Needed
• 1 Cup Milk
• Salt & Black Pepper, to Taste Preferences
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Makes 2 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.
2. Cut Spaghetti Squash in half and remove seeds. Using a fork, poke holes in the skin on the back of the squash.
3. Spread Olive Oil on the pulp of the squash and season with Salt/Pepper. Place squash face-down on the baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare pan-seared oven-baked Chicken Breasts by heating Olive Oil in an oven-safe pan on medium-high heat. Sear chicken breasts for 2-4 minutes on each side.
5. Once chicken is seared, place pan in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until fully cooked.
6. In another pan, prepare Walnut and Sage Topping by heating Butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted, add Walnuts and Sage Leaves. Stir gently and remove with a slotted spoon once butter has browned and sage leaves are crispy. Set aside.
7. Prepare Mushroom-Sage Cream Sauce in the same pan with the leftover butter. Start by adding the mushrooms to the heated pan and cook/stir for about 3 minutes. Then add Garlic and Onions, continue cooking until softened and fragrant. Add chopped Sage Leaves, stir to mix. 
8. Add Flour to the pan and stir to mix throughout the ingredients. Add a touch of Olive Oil as needed to eliminate any dry flour in the pan.
9. Slowly mix in Milk and heat until desired thickness is achieved. Season sauce with Salt/Pepper. Remove sauce from heat and mix in grated Parmesan Cheese.
10. Remove chicken and squash from oven once cooked. Let squash cool for about 5 minutes before scraping the insides with a fork to remove noodle-like pulp.
11. Serve squash noodles with chicken breast and top with Mushroom-Sage Cream Sauce, then sprinkle with Walnut and Sage topping. 
12. Optional: Garnish with additional grated parmesan.

1. Before you preheat your oven, adjust oven racks such that you can fit both a baking sheet (spaghetti squash) and oven-safe pan (chicken breasts) at the same time.
2. Hold off on adding salt to the mushroom-sage cream sauce until near completion to help prevent soggy mushrooms.
3. Feel free to increase the milk amount in the sauce if you desire a thinner sauce consistency.