I have used the spaghetti squash in a previous post, but I thought I would take the time to introduce it to you a bit. Spaghetti squash is an elongated winter squash with a tough yellow exterior. The interior is slightly hollow with seeds on the interior, similar to that of a pumpkin. It can not be eaten raw. It is too tough. However, when it is cooked, magic happens! Spaghetti squash is the only fruit/vegetable I have seen to have such a dramatic and unique transformation. After the squash has been cooked, the exterior is tender enough to cut and the interior falls apart at the touch of a fork and little strands of crunchy-vegetable goodness form.
I have used spaghetti squash as a substitute for noodles in soups so far. I like it. They have a little crunch to them which adds texture. And I save myself some workout time since they have lower carbohydrates and calories and higher fiber than real noodles. I would like to try recipes in the future where it is the main ingredient. I don’t like to use it in spaghetti. I use julienned zucchini for that since it has a closer texture to real noodles.
Usually, I’m not a big fan of using the microwave to cook my meals. But when it is summertime, and I don’t want to turn on the oven for fear of cooking everyone in my house, I might reconsider. When I roast vegetables in the oven, I like to get that crispy/caramelized layer of goodness, but for spaghetti squash you don’t really get that. Since you pull apart the “noodles” after it is cooked, very few “noodles” get caramelized and the rest get steamed. In the microwave, everything is steamed so you get about the same texture and flavor.
Lessons Learned:
- You need a strong arm and a sharp knife.
- Don’t get too frustrated while cutting the spaghetti squash and start hacking at it. You might cut yourself in the process.
- Let the squash cool before trying to handle it. It gets hot and steamy and stays that way for a while even when he exterior seems cool enough to handle.
- 1 spaghetti squash
- a few Tbsp water to start the steaming process
- Cut ends off of squash. Cut the squash in half. Either way is fine. If you cut it down the long way, you will get shorter “noodles”.
- Place small amount of water on microwave safe plate and place the spaghetti squash halfs cut side down on the plate.
- Microwave for 5 minutes at a time. And check on it. When a fork goes through the outer skin easily, it is done. It took me 3 rounds (15 min total) for mine to finish cooking.
- Let cool thoroughly before using a fork to scrape out the the interior “noodles”.
