This has got to be the craziest vegetable I’ve ever worked with. My friend Lindsay and I were rock climbing and somehow the conversation transitioned to food. Why, I have no idea. I feel a study should be conducted on how often I talk about food in comparison to how often I talk about… anything else. Anyway, Lindsay told me of this magical vegetable called spaghetti squash, aptly named because its flesh falls away in strands similar to spaghetti. This blew my mind. “So you can make spaghetti with squash? Madness!” So of course being the vegetable freak I am I had to try it.
Like just about every vegetable, spaghetti squash has high nutritious value, being a good source for folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene (thank you Wikipedia). It’s also a low calorie food making it a great option for post Thanksgiving meals. I recommend going with the smaller sizes which are much easier to work with (I’m sporting a nice burn on my left hand right now) and more flavorful.
To be fair, spaghetti squash will never truly compete with pasta for the same dishes. You can’t get a true al dente texture with spaghetti squash, but instead a crunch. Still, it’s a nice variation that I will be revisiting again. This is something that might go great with a flavorful butter sage sauce or a garlic pesto.
Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce
1 small spaghetti squash; approximately 2 pounds in weight
8 ounces of your favorite spaghetti sauce
While bringing a large part of water to a boil, piece the squash in several places. This will help the insides cook. Add the squash carefully to the pot, preferably with tongs and boil for approximately 25 minutes until the skin is tender. If the pot isn’t large enough to cover the squash in water, then occasionally rotate with your tongs 3-4 times during the cooking process.
While the squash is cooking, prepare your spaghetti sauce or heat your premade sauce in a medium sized pot. Once the squash is ready, strain in a colander and let sit to cool down and continue to drain. After a few minutes, transfer to a cutting board and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous center. Then, pull the fork lengthwise through the flesh of the squash to separate it into strands. Either throw in with your tomato sauce or serve into a bowl and add the sauce separately.
Don’t forget the grated cheese on top — some nice parmagiano-reggiano makes all the difference.
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Ah of course. Can’t forget the parmesan.
Lindsay, pretty sure you’re already doing that. 😉
Do you know, when my baby daughter started eating solids I was desperately in search of veggies that she wouldn’t spit out, and it turned out she LOVED spaghetti squash. She seemingly could not get enough of the stuff. So that vegetable truly holds a special place in my heart! Therese
I think spaghetti squash has a pretty subtle taste when compared to the classic despised vegetables (brussel sprouts for example). Plus, what kid doesn’t like spaghetti? I think it’s a rule.
What did YOU do with spaghetti squash?