Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

There's something alluring about deceptive foods -- purple peppers, white eggplants, and now spaghetti squash.

What to say about this carbohydrate imposter? It's kind of weird, kind of awesome. Only 142 calories per 155 grams. It tastes like whatever you dress it in. It's in season, according to the kind Amish boy at Penn's farmer's market.

We decided to go pesto. Armed with a bunch of basil from the market, we decided to make it oursleves, a "classic pesto" a la Epicurious. Added some chicken to the mix, and poof: way lower calorie pasta pesto with chicken.

Ingredients:
2 spaghetti squash
4 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
4 chicken cutlets
1 tsp salt

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Halve each squash and place the pieces face down on a greased baking sheet. Bake them for about 30 minutes, until it feels tender when you stick a knife in it. Meanwhile, make the pesto by blending (in a blender or food processor) the basil, oil, pine nuts, cheese and salt. It makes about a cup, and freezes well. Throw some salt and pepper on the chicken, cut it into strips, and cook it in a pan. After the squash has cooked and cooled slightly, remove the seeds from the middle, then use a fork to scrape out the flesh -- it should come out in little spaghetti strips. Throw the chicken in with the squash, and mix in about 3-4 tbsp pesto.