Strands of cooked spaghetti squash ready to be topped with sauce or tossed with herbs.
This time of year, there's no shortage of food-related resolutions, but most come down to this: Eat more of the good stuff, less of the bad stuff. Spaghetti squash kills two birds with one stone - the vegetable can be served as a side dish or used in place of pasta, and has fiber, potassium, vitamin C. Oh, and did we mention that, cup-for-cup, it contains about 180 fewer calories than spaghetti? Read on for the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash.
Some people suggest slicing the squash in half and roasting it cut-side down, but we find it easier to roast it whole, then cut it in half when it's soft, which is much less of a struggle.
Prick a three-pound squash all over with a small, sharp knife, making sure to get a few good stabs into the center of the squash to let steam escape. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise, let it cool for a bit, then scoop out and discard the seeds.
Run a fork through the soft flesh and you'll instantly be scraping up spaghetti-like strands of squash.
You'll get about 5 or 6 cups of "spaghetti" frome each squash. I love to toss it with sauteed shallot and sage for a simple, delicious side dish.
From: Carol May | 1/2/12 at 2:12 pm
The easy way: Scrub then pierce the shell of spaghetti squash all around & place on plate or rack & microwave it 6 minutes per pound--then let stand a few minutes. Works great!
From: Pamela | 1/3/12 at 12:42 pm
I chop up the pieces of squash and put in my steamer and steam for 20-40 minutes and then shred it out.
From: RCarbo | 1/4/12 at 5:27 pm
Perfect for the gluten free members of the family! I tried this for my daughter who is on a gluten free diet so she could still enjoy spaghetti nights with the rest of the family and she really enjoyed it. Now that I know the health benefits I think we will all replace the pasta - thanks for the tip!