Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
Add to CollectionLet's tantalize your taste buds with this delicious Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous recipe! This wholesome dish combines tender chicken with roasted acorn squash, fresh herbs, and fluffy couscous for a flavorful meal. Serve it up for lunch or dinner and enjoy! This dish can easily be converted into a scrumptious vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken.
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet, large , or glass baking dish
- 1 knife
- Aluminum foil
- 1 sauce pan, medium
- 1 Spatula
- 1 bowl, medium
Ingredients
Acorn Squash
- 1 large acorn squash , sliced in half through the stem down
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 tbsp kosher salt , divided
- 1 tbsp black pepper , divided
Couscous
- 1½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary , chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , or 1 tbsp butter
- salt + pepper , season to taste
Chicken + Sauce
- 1 large chicken breast , cut into small pieces
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- ¼ tbsp black pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes , fresh
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning , if you don't have - see recipe in blog post
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , divide into 4 portions
- 1 tbsp dried parsley , divided
Instructions
Acorn Squash
- Preheat oven to 400° and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from the center cavity.
- Place the halves cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Drizzle each half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then rub it into the surface of the squash with your hands or a spoon.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until fork tender when pierced through the flesh of the squash. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Couscous
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, add the salt, olive oil (or butter), chopped rosemary, and couscous. Stir for about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Set to the side.
Chicken + Sauce
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in the same medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, flipping over with a spatula as it cooks until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
- Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes. Continue stirring the tomatoes and chicken with the spatula while lifting up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the tomatoes break down into a sauce.
- Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for about 7-10 minutes.Taste test and stir in additional seasonings if needed.
Assembly
- Divide the mozzarella into 4 portions. Sprinkle 1 portion of mozzarella into the cavity of each acorn squash followed by half of the couscous, and then the chicken and sauce mixture. Top each squash with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese topping has melted.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with dried parsley sprinkled on top.
Notes
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