How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash

I’ve been asked a few times in the last couple of weeks how to cook specifically a spaghetti squash. So here’s a quick lesson.

• Choose a squash that is firm with few blemishes. Pay attention to the stem and flower (bottom) areas for soft spots.
• Wash the squash and cut it lengthwise. Be careful as they like to roll!
• Seed the squash and place it face down on a baking tray.
• Cook at 350-375 for approximately 1 hour, until skin is soft.
• Run a fork along the length of the squash and it will separate into spaghetti-like strands.
• You can get about 4 cups from an average sized squash.
• Watch the oven! You can always add a little water to the pan, to avoid the lovely scenario below. It doesn’t affect the taste, just the amount of scrubbing you’ll have to do to clean up the pan 😉  

  

 

 

There are a multitude of ways to enjoy this vegetable. As a main dish top it with spaghetti sauce, as a side dish try a little butter and fresh parmesan cheese, or wilt some spinach in a pan with olive oil, garlic and pine nuts and top the squash with that. I’m sure it would be tasty with chili as well. My favourite way to have it is topped with shrimp that I have simmered in coconut milk and fresh grated ginger!
Now, it doesn’t taste like spaghetti!! It does taste like squash but the texture I think is more enjoyable for kids then your typical pureed, mashed or cubed turnip.