Yuck! Spaghetti squash!!

[carfreemama]

It's one of the few things I can't stand and it keeps coming in my CSA box; both of them, in fact.

It's the texture mostly, since I LOVE all other squash.

Can anybody give me some truly yummy recipes to use this up?

[Llyra]

I'm no big fan either, but I'm sort of on a campaign to make myself try things I usually don't try.

[MammaG]

I just converted my mother, who also doesn't usually like spaghetti squash....she asked for seconds and the recipe!

Problem was, there is no recipe.....I was just winging it. I sauteed some chicken pieces (I cut them up bite-sized before cooking). Removed the chicken when browned, added butter and chopped garlic to the pan, then chopped sundried tomatoes, and (I think?) mushrooms. WHen the mushrooms released their liquid, I added in a little flour, stirred for a minute or two, then deglazed with white wine and added some spices (thyme, I think) and some stock. Simmered until thickened, added the chicken and accumulated juices back in, and finished with some cream...not much, just to give it a richer taste....maybe a 1/4 cup?

Scooped out the spaghetti squash into a serving dish and topped with the creamy chicken and sundried tomato sauce.

Sorry to be so vague, but I think I may have added some cheese, too? I dunno, but a little parm sounds like it would have been good! You could even add parm and breadcrumbs to the top and brown under the broiler.

Really, any creamy sauce would work...a mushroom-based one might hide the texture of the squash really well.

I assume you've tried the traditional marinara, right?

When I'm in doubt, I head to Epicurious.com.....I just checked there and sure enough, there were two recipes under 'chicken and sundried tomatoes' that I've looked at recently....that must have been the inspiration!

ETA: Here's a link to another interesting-sounding Spaghetti squash recipe...stuffed with sausage: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...e-Filling-5673

[blueridgewoman]

I usually bake the squash, scoop it out, and toss it with a lot of olive oil, feta cheese, cranberries, walnuts, and maybe some green onion and fresh herbs.

[Krisis]

For some reason I can't eat it in other dishes, just plain. How funny that you like other squashes - I can't stand any other squash except for spaghetti! (and banana squash and zucchini I guess.)

I just cook it till it's tender, drown it in butter and salt and pepper and then feast. My DH won't touch spaghetti squash with a 10 foot pole so I get to have it all to myself. mmmmmm

[mi_amor]

A really yummy recipe is to cook the squash in the oven until tender (I cut the squash in half and put it in a bit of water and bake at 350 till tender - an hour or more).

Then scoop the strands into a small rectangular or square baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread pesto along one third of the squash, then mozzarella in the middle third, then spaghetti sauce to make an Italian flag.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake 10-15 more minutes.

I usually make this, or just put lots of spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese on it to eat.

[cristeen]

Personally, I love spaghetti squash, but it has to be slightly less cooked than other squashes. Butternuts and other orange squashes get cooked until they can be mashes, but a spaghetti squash is yucky that way. Usually I cut it in half, place it cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Take it out, flip them right side up and check for doneness... Scrape with the tines of a fork - you should be scraping up strings. Scrape about halfway down (which should still be a bit too firm), and pop them back in the oven like that - another 15 minutes or so will cook the bottom layers without making the top layers mushy now.

Take it out, scrape it well and treat it like spaghetti, not like squash. I love it drenched in garlic butter with some crushed red chilies. But really, any sauce you'd put over spaghetti goes beautifully with spaghetti squash.

[bobandjess99]

You aren't alone...we jst can't stand spaghetti squash here.

[carfreemama]

Okay, thanks everybody. I'm gonna tackle it today or tomorrow (whenever I can get to the grocery store). The next CSA box comes tomorrow and I just checked the "what to expect" on their website and guess what we're getting? Yeah. Oh well. That's part of the reason I signed up for a CSA. I like the idea of cooking it with meat. I LOVE sausage, so I might try that. Then I'll try chicken. And then...

[ollyoxenfree]

I cut the squash in half and bake it until tender.

In a pan, I saute bacon or pancetta until crispy, and put it aside to drain on paper towels. I drain most of the bacon fat, and then saute a diced onion and a minced garlic clove (or 2!). You can add other diced vegetables and saute them at this point too - red or orange pepper, peas, mushroom...Remove from the heat and add some bread crumbs.

Use a fork to rake up the "spaghetti" strands of squash, and place it in a serving dish. Toss with the sauteed vegetables and bread crumb mix and some chopped fresh herbs - parsley or basil or oregano, and some grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with the bacon bits.

You can omit the bacon and saute in vegetable oil, but the bacon really adds flavour and texture to the squash.