I feel like I am already at the tail end of this incredible cacophony of support for the long neglected spaghetti squash. I first encountered this awesome veggie about 8 years ago, and when I found out that it has ZERO Weight Watchers Points for a whole cup, I had to make it part of my weekly cooking. I love squash to begin with, so having a squash that is easy to cook, can be paired with just about anything, and is good for me is pretty awesome.
How easy to cook? I’ll tell ya.
The hardest part is cutting the sucker in half, lengthwise. I always sharpen the big knife before going into it, however, it makes me yearn for an axe. Once you have it split, you can just scoop out the yag and seeds from the middle (just keep those seeds for roasting!)
I use the side of a large spoon to scrape around the opening.
After that, you put it cut side down on parchment paper, a Silpat, or slightly greased cookie sheet and just roast it up at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. A fork should easily be able to scrape out the insides.
So why do they call it spaghetti squash?
Well… what starts as a seemingly solid piece of squash winds up turning into these beautiful strands that look just like spaghetti.
And you can treat it like spaghetti and pair it with a pasta sauce, cheese, veggies or any other savory topping. You can also make a sweet version and I’ve heard brown sugar and butter on it is especially delicious. Personally, I’m dying to try this recipe which pairs it with maple syrup and shallots.
Another quick and easy, yet totally healthy recipe for a good dessert after you’ve had your spaghetti squash is putting a pear (or apple) in the slow cooker. I just cored 2 apples and then put them in the crock pot. Then I poured over some apple cider (until it came up about half way on the pears), a sprinkle of brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, then set it on low for about 4 hours until it was tender.
Topped off with a bit of homemade schlag and it was a very yummy treat.
