Spaghetti Squash - A **Miracle** Food
A friend of mine told me about Spaghetti Squash and I can't believe I have not been cooking with this amazing plant until now. Now that it is summer, and we are out from hibernating here in Minnesota, I have been focusing on eating a little lighter and consuming tons of fruits and veggies, instead of carbs and fats (which, come on, I can't give up when it is -20 out). Cooked correctly, the squash tastes so similar to pasta and is a perfect substitute that is lighter (~40 calories per cup vs. ~200 per cup of pasta), has a slightly sweet flavor, and it is just magic how it turns into a perfect noodle-like dish.
I read a few different recipes and followed them somewhat, but mostly used ingredients that I had in the fridge (a combo that turned out to be delicious). I am excited to try out different recipes and this will definitely be a new staple in our house! Below are a few pics and notes on how I prepared my first Spaghetti Squash meal:
Wash and (carefully!) cut the squash in half.
Scoop out the seeds!
Lightly coat the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 35-45 minutes (until you can easily puncture the squash with a fork). Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then run a fork through the squash parallel with the fibers to remove the squash from the skin - the strands of "spaghetti" will magically appear!
I cut up tomatoes, spinach, onion, garlic, and added more pepper along with thyme and oregano to taste.
I wanted the "noodles" to be a bit more tender, so after sautéing the veggies, I added the squash to cook a bit more. The result is amazing, and it actually tastes better the day after - all the flavors are absorbed into the squash a bit more. Sprinkle with a bit of parmesan - you are in for a treat!