Here’s a produce pick I’ve been using for a about a year now but it warrants its own post.
I was VERY hesitant to try the spaghetti squash at first. Probably because I didn’t see a need for it, I mean just eat spaghetti, right? But once I took the leap, boy was I hooked! The key is NOT to think of it as a substitution for spaghetti. I mean it has the same name, same texture (sort of) and the same shape but it has it’s own purpose.
Spaghetti Squash is by far my favorite food “bulker”. One cup of this stuff has only about 40 calories, with 2 g of fiber. It’s great under chili adding a lot of texture. For me, it completes a meal by adding another veggie for more nutrients and bulk with barely any additional calories. It really helps fill you up!
The squash is easy to use. You can either bake it in a 375-degree oven whole for an hour or pop it in the microwave for about 10-12 minutes (about 2 minutes a pound). Either way make sure you pierce the skin. Once it’s cooked, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds then, using a fork, scrap out the string like flesh.
I’ve used spaghetti squash in some older recipes like Zucchini and Spaghetti Squash “ Lasagna ” and Vegetarian Chili over Spaghetti Squash. Yesterday I used it to make Simple Spaghetti Squash with Garlic, Tomato and Baby Spinach and now I have cold leftovers in the fridge I can sprinkle on salads or even add to some canned soups.
If you haven’t tried this awesome squash give it a shot. It’s worth a try. You never know you can get hooked like me!
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Spaghetti squash is probably my favorite vegetable these days after butternut squash.
I love it with Lean Cuisine’s Santa Fe Rice and Beans on top! Super filling and so cheesy/gooey. YUM!
for a quick lunch I either put a smart ones chicken santa fe or a bowl of bocca chili. Yours looks really good!
I love spagehetti squash! A friend of mine gave me a recipe from a very old WW cookbook, it’s a fall favorite here and I’ve calculated it at 5 pts/serving using 93% lean beef (let me know if you think it’s different):
Baked Spaghetti Sqaush:
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. fresh black pepper
2 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tsp.olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes w/basil
chopped parsley
In large skillet, cook onion, pepper, garlic in oil until onion is translucent. Add beef, cook until done & crumbly. Spray 9×13 pan and mix squash, seasoning, diced tomatoes and cooked beef & veggies, spread evenly through pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then sprinkle top with cheese and bake additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. This is a large meal, it makes about 6 servings.
Thank you so much for posting pictures and how you make this work…I had heard about it but could never quite figure out how to make it and then how on earth it would be like spaghetti. I see that now! Thanks! I will be making that with your pasta sauce!
Tanya from Ontario, Canada
I have never heard about this, but it looks delicious. What do you do with the rest of the squash? Can you cut it up and add it to a vege. blend or is it kinda done for after cooking and gutting it, lol?
Sarah – You can do a lot with it. I save the leftovers and top them with sauce. You can put them it in a salad. I’m even working on a squash cake recipe!
I finally got around to trying this tonight with the WW hearty turkey chili recipe. This did wonders to bulk it up and make it feel like I was eating so much more than I actually was. Thank you for the instructional on how to cook/prepare it. I would’ve had no idea.
Roni,
Here’s a link to a spagetti squash cake
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=224627
[...] On the plus side, we had spaghetti squash with it. Thanks to Roni for the help on twitter and her blog. We’ve tried it before in the microwave, but it ended up still crunchy, and in the oven, [...]