A Revelation: Spaghetti Squash!

[AnnaNova]

so my husband brought home some of the spagheti squashes and i had no idea what to do with them. we gave some to our friend who is a cook and he told me about how awesome they are.
you basically take one and bake it at 375 for an hour, then let it cool, cut in half, take out the seeds and then get a fork and just start scooping the insides with it, and it all comes out like noodles!!!! and it is absolutely delicious and versatile.
i made this amazing casserole thing, just threw together some of the squash, sauteed meat, kale, cheese on top, it was sooooo yummy!!! i can see pancakes in our future and some more delicious casseroles, maybe even sth like lasagna!
and you can just put it in bags and keep it in the freezer all winter! and it goes everywhere where noodles would go!
im hitting our store tomorrow and getting a BUNCH and freezing it.

[cristeen]

They will actually keep for ages, just like any winter squash. No need to freeze them. I keep mine on the shelf next to the butternut.

I prefer to cut them in half and scoop out the seeds before roasting them. I drizzle with a little oil, then put the cut sides down on a sheet pan. Roast about 40 minutes, flip them, scrape them up a bit to let some steam escape and cook them cut side up for another 10-15 minutes. They're less likely to get overcooked/soggy that way.

I love spaghetti squash with garlic butter and red pepper. Or with a meat sauce. Or pesto. Or alfredo. I just love it, period. In fact I prefer it over actual spaghetti.

[griffin2004]

spag squash is so versatile; I cooked one tonight, in fact, to have for "spaghetti" and meatballs for dinner tomorrow

I pierce mine all over with a knife and microwave it for 10 minutes, cut, scoop seeds, and away you go; the first one I ever made I guess I didn't pierce sufficiently and a quadrant of it blew out; it looked like Mt St Helens post-eruption and sounded about like that, too!

[34me]

I'm a pretty picky eater and I Love it. Unfortunately the kids, not so much. And I've always made it like christen.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by cristeen

They will actually keep for ages, just like any winter squash. No need to freeze them. I keep mine on the shelf next to the butternut.

I prefer to cut them in half and scoop out the seeds before roasting them. I drizzle with a little oil, then put the cut sides down on a sheet pan. Roast about 40 minutes, flip them, scrape them up a bit to let some steam escape and cook them cut side up for another 10-15 minutes. They're less likely to get overcooked/soggy that way.

I love spaghetti squash with garlic butter and red pepper. Or with a meat sauce. Or pesto. Or alfredo. I just love it, period. In fact I prefer it over actual spaghetti.

Yes to all of this! I keep squash in my dark, cool basement pantry all winter long. They are just the super pantry food.

[GardenStream]

I cut mine in half, scoop out the seeds and then put it in boiling water. DH doesn't like it crunchy and it was always a little too firm for him when roasted. I scoop out the insides, put it in a casserole dish with tomato sauce, and then cover the top with cheese so it gets nice and brown when baked. We love it!

[dawningmama]

mmmmm. Thanks for the reminder! I haven't had spaghetti squash in a while and we recently went no-wheat again so this is very timely. Putting it on next week's menu for sure.

[Caneel]

I love spaghetti squash! I didn't discover it until two or three years ago.

I also scoop the sides prior to baking. I bake cut sides up.

Most times I toss it with butter and parm cheese.

[odenata]

Originally Posted by Caneel

Most times I toss it with butter and parm cheese.

Yum!

Love it that way. And with sauce...

And I really love that I can be super lazy and get one, let it lay around and cook it whenever. I've never had one go bad ever, and I just leave them sitting on the kitchen counter. Sometimes for months.

[columbusmomma]

Yummy! I love fall foods and haven't had spaghetti squash for so long! my Mom would always make it for us when we were young, drizzle with olive oil,salt and pepper, and top it with fresh tomatoes,garlic, and onions

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by cristeen

They will actually keep for ages, just like any winter squash. No need to freeze them. I keep mine on the shelf next to the butternut.

I prefer to cut them in half and scoop out the seeds before roasting them. I drizzle with a little oil, then put the cut sides down on a sheet pan. Roast about 40 minutes, flip them, scrape them up a bit to let some steam escape and cook them cut side up for another 10-15 minutes. They're less likely to get overcooked/soggy that way.

Yes to all this!

I find the combination of tomato sauce on the squash strands a little too slippery, so it's not quite the right texture for me to just substitute it for spaghetti in a spaghetti bolognese or marinara.

I like to serve the "noodles" dressed with olive oil, garlic and onion, some herbs and bread crumbs all sauteed together and grated cheese. Delicious!

[CookiePie]

It is also delicious with coconut oil & salt & pepper!

[JessicaS]

I have one sitting on my counter. It is on the meal plan for tomorrow I got some homemade italian sausage from the deli at our farmer's market and I am going to make a simple marinara

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

I like to serve the "noodles" dressed with olive oil, garlic and onion, some herbs and bread crumbs all sauteed together and grated cheese. Delicious!

That sounds good!

[jimblejamble]

Here's what I do with mine!

Bake it, scoop out the innards and blend with a little broth or water so it's a liquid. Add about 4 cups of cooked black beans, a chopped onion, a little garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook until the onion is done and serve over cooked brown rice with a scoop of guacamole and some cheese. It makes a great chunky soup!

[DevaMajka]

Don't forget to keep the seeds out and roast them. It's ds1's favorite part of winter squash.

We just had spaghetti squash for dinner I tossed it with sage butter, and added a little lemon juice because it was bland. Then we topped it with parmesan cheese- yummy!

I do NOT like it with spaghetti sauce. The last time I made it, I topped it with spaghetti sauce. That was years ago, and I hadn't made it again in all this time until I found the sage butter idea.

[treemom2]

My DH loves spaghetti squash and I'd eat it but wasn't a big fan. . .until. . .a friend told us the way she prepares it! Now we cook it, take it out of the shell, then toss it with some hot cooked sausage, olive oil, cooked onion, and hot peppers. . .yum!! Now I love it! We used to just do it the tomato sauce way with loads of parmesan. . .but this way is by far my absolute fav