I love pasta as much as the next gal. I can eat a big bowl or the stuff, no problemo.
But with summer and swimsuit season right around the corner, sometimes you just want a lighter option. Enter spaghetti squash.
Now, I’m not claiming that spaghetti squash tastes like pasta (it tastes like squash!), or that it will curb that carb craving (it is a veggie!), but it is a good alternative when you don’t want the heavy feeling that often comes from eating too pasta. And what doesn’t taste good covered in marinara sauce?!
Spaghetti squash kind of looks like a football. You want to choose one that is solid and seems heavy for its size. Wash the outside to remove any grit of dirt that might still be there. We aren’t going to eat the skin, but its just good to get rid of that stuff.
Take a large kitchen knife and pierce the skin. The skin is very tough, so this might take some effort.
Work your way around the squash and flip it over when you are half way through to reach the other side.
Then you will have two squash halves!
Take a spoon and scrape our the seeds and stringy flesh in the cavity…
Until you have two empty squash halves.
If you bought a GIANT spaghetti squash, like me, you might have to cut your halves again to fit in your baking dish, but if yours fit, just leave them as halves. Clearly, I had to cut mine.
Add enough water to the baking dish to come up about 1/2 in on the squash, and bake for 30-40 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
When the squash is done, take a fork and scrape the flesh away from the skin. It should come off in strands that look like spaghetti!
Becky Cooks 