Spaghetti Squash. You are one weird vegetable.

You look like pasta, but you taste like squash.

I’m not one of those people who can be fooled into thinking that a vegetable is really a substitute for something else.

I’m also not into the whole hiding vegetables in foods like brownies where you’re not expecting to find veggies.

I’m in favor of eating vegetables because vegetables are GOOD!

Here’s what I’ve learned:  If you’re expecting pasta, you’re likely to be disapointed. BUT, if you like squash, this is good stuff.

I decided to pair it with a (mostly) veggie Puttanesca Sauce and was it ever delicious.

Here’s what you need:

Spaghetti Squash!

Click HERE for the Puttanesca Sauce Recipe and Step by Step Instructions.

Click here for a Spaghetti Squash with Puttanesca Sauce Shopping List

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

The most difficult part of cooking a spaghetti squash is cutting it in half. Seriously. These are hard little buggers.

To make life a little easier, cut a very little bit off the stem end of the squash to give your squash a base to stand on.

Stand the squash up on the newly cut end and using the biggest knife you own (even if it’s not the sharpest), cut vertically through the squash.

Please be careful while you’re doing this step. You need all your parts that are currently attached to stay that way.

My knife got completely stuck about halfway down the squash so I used the tried and true culinary trick of BANGING IT ON THE COUNTER.

Works every time.

Note: I’ve since learned that if you want longer spaghetti-like strands, cut the squash the other direction – around the squash equater – rather than vertically.

Either way, cut the squash in half. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and inner membranes.

Bake the squash at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the squash is very tender when poked through the skin with a sharp knife.

While the squash is cooking, make the Puttanesca Sauce. (The sauce only takes about 15 minutes.)

Use a fork and scrape horizontally across the squash to create the spaghetti like strands.

If you go the wrong way, you’ll know it pretty quickly as you’ll have mush rather than spaghetti strands.

Scrape the squash into your serving dish….

and then top it with the tangy sauce!

I served this to Jim not really knowing what to expect and he loved it.

Let’s be honest, it’s not pasta but it’s also not as filling and bloating as eating a full plate of pasta. Spaghetti squash is light and flavorful.

You’ll feel GOOD after eating this for dinner!

If you’re trying to add more vegetables to your diet (like me), spaghetti squash is a great addition! More variations coming soon.

Here’s the recipe:

Spaghetti Squash with Puttanesca Sauce

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4 Responses

  1. I love all veggies. (well, we won’t discuss beets here)
    This looks great, I’ve only had spaghetti squash one time and I loved it. I vowed to prepare it at home and quickly forgot about it! I learned some wonderful phrases here, I really liked “squash equater”.
    You are a hoot in the kitchen!

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