This recipe is the base for many creations. It’s your starting point. You can take it from here and put sauce on it, sauté it in ghee (or butter), season it up, add some herbs, toss it with pesto (like Arugula Lime with Walnuts and Jalapeno), whatever you like.
Whether you follow a special diet or not, spaghetti squash is a great sub for pasta if you’re looking to increase your vegetable intake. It’s not the most vitamin-, mineral-, fiber-dense veg on the planet, but it does have some folic acid, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin A.
We are seeing and increase in veggie noodles related to a number of things, many of which are related to special diets. First, an increased awareness of eating “whole foods” or unprocessed foods has increased spaghetti squash popularity. Second, an increase in gluten-free diets has increased spaghetti alternatives in general. (Should you be among those avoiding gluten? <— check out this article to help you decide!) Thirdly, many vegan diets place an emphasis on making meals “plant-based” which has lead to seeing veggies take center stage as a main dish instead of just a side dish. Fourth, low-carb and ketogenic diets love spaghetti squash over pasta for its nutrition: 1 cup of spaghetti squash is about 10 grams of carbs compared to 1 cup of spaghetti which is about 43 grams of carbs. This also means it’s lower in calories which makes it appealing to anyone looking to cut calories.
There’s many methods for cooking spaghetti squash. I’ve tried microwaving it, baking it with an inch of water in a glass dish, and roasting it. My favorite of them all is roasting. I didn’t find the microwave to add anything special. Baking it with water works well, but I feel it always turns out a bit too watery for my liking. It works fine, just doesn’t add anything to the flavor. I prefer roasting because I feel like it enhances the flavor of the squash.
Just as you wouldn’t generally just cook and eat plain pasta, I don’t recommend making this recipe and eating this as a side dish on its own as the recipe shows it here. This recipe is intended for use as a pasta substitute. It’s best with a sauce on it even if it’s as basic as a jar of marinara or sautéing a shallot in olive oil, adding the squash, salt and pepper, and some fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley.
What’s your favorite recipe to use spaghetti squash in??? Leave your recipe in the comments below!
- 1 large spaghetti squash (about 5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Heat oven to 400 F.
- Slice squash in half lengthwise.
- Scrape out and discard seeds and pulp.
- Place on a baking sheet, skin side down. Brush the flesh of each half with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Allow squash to cool enough to handle (about 20 minutes), then use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands.
Yum! Thanks for the intro to spaghetti squash. Such an easy go-to recipe that goes with many different things.
You’re welcome! When you made it, what did you serve it with?