Spaghetti squash is nature’s spiralized vegetable. No special equipment necessary. Just cook the squash by either roasting or microwaving and scrape the interior flesh to magically create the strands of “spaghetti”. Yellow and orange vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin and spaghetti squash are rich in beta-carotene (a plant form of vitamin A found in orange vegetables) and it’s recommended that we eat 2 cups of orange vegetables each week. Spaghetti squash is a low calorie substitute for pasta, with only 42 calories per cup compared to 200 calories for pasta and it’s low in carbohydrate. You can top it with a variety of sauces and kids tend to like this unusual twist on pasta.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- homemade or jarred pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- few tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half (this is the most difficult part of the recipe so please be careful). Scoop out the interior flesh and seeds (save the seeds to bake along with the squash). Place squash halves on a foil-lined baking sheet (cut side up). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow squash to cool for a few minutes, then with a fork, scrap the interior until you release the spaghetti squash strands. For this recipe I made a quick tomato sauce with chicken sausage, ground turkey breast, garlic, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes but there’s no shame in using a jar of your favorite pasta sauce to spread on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Place the squash under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese browns and melts.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds: Toss the squash seeds with a splash of olive oil, dash of salt and chili powder. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet (spray the foil with cooking spray) and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. You can do this on another rack in your oven while you’re roasting the spaghetti squash. Check them often and stir as needed to keep them from burning.
JudyMatusky.com
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 