Hey, y'all! Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite foods. Have you tried it? It's an excellent alternative to traditional pasta. It's gluten-free and paleo-friendly. It's also a much healthier alternative. Pasta has 158 calories, compared to only 27 in squash. Spaghetti squash also has 7 grams of carbohydrates compared to the 31 carbs in pasta. However, traditional pasta has 8x more protein than spaghetti squash.
What is spaghetti squash?
Spaghetti squash is a delicious squash that when cooked, the insides create ribbons or strands that resemble spaghetti. It can be cooked in a variety of ways including baking, boiling, steaming, and even microwaving. It is often used as a substitute for pasta.
Is spaghetti squash keto friendly?
Spaghetti squash is very low carb, but like many foods, it is not totally carb-free. 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash contains roughly 20 calories and 5 g of carbs. So while it fits in the keto diet, you still need to watch your portion size!
Like most people, I was a nay-sayer at first. But it honestly is like eating angel hair pasta...just with a little crunch to it. We use the squash for everything from spaghetti to pad Thai. It's truly that versatile.
Spaghetti squash is really easy to prepare, once you get used to cooking it. You must be careful when cutting it open. The skin can be extremely tough and some times you really have to put some effort into digging your knife into it.
*Note M&M is not responsible for any cuts, gashes or missing appendages*
Kidding. Kind of.
Preheat your oven to 375.
Place the squash on a cutting board.
Using a large sharp knife cut from one end of the squash to the other, length wise. Some people choose to cut off the stem and butt first so that it is easier to cut. I typically leave them in tact and cut as much as I can with the knife. Once I get close to the stem, I simply use my hands to pull the squash halves apart.
As you see, the inside of the squash has seeds similar to a pumpkin. These will need to come out. I place the squash into a grocery bag and scoop the seeds directly into the bag for easy clean up. You can use a spoon or your hands to scoop the seeds out of the squash. I prefer to use a spoon to really get all of the smaller seeds out.
From here you can either choose to toss the seeds out or plant them in your garden. Last year we planted some squash seeds, from one of our dinner squashes, and they took off like crazy in the garden. Simply dig a hole in the soil 1 inch deep. Place a seed (or 2 or 3) inside and cover with soil. Space each hole 1 foot apart.
Next, generously drizzle olive oil over each half of the squash. Add a little bit of salt...
...and pepper.
Place the squash face down in a 13X9 Pan. As you can see my pan has had a lot of love! Gross.
Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash. I baked this squash for 30 minutes but sometimes it can take up to 1 hour. You’ll know yours is done when the squash pulls easily away from the skin or when you're easily able to pierce the skin with a fork.
Once it is roasted you'll need to shred the squash into your noodles. It's easier to do this when the squash is cooled down a bit so you don't burn your little fingers off. The easiest way to do this is to use two forks.
Doesn't it look yummy? From here how you dress the squash is up to you. Get crazy! You can do lots of fun things with it like Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowl, Cheesy Garlic Spaghetti Squash, Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Southwestern Spaghetti Squash, or BBQ Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.
For this particular dish I topped it with my zucchini, yellow squash, green pepper and onion and meat sauce for an extra punch of veggies. Ashley HATES spaghetti noodles but she loves this for some reason.
What is your favorite spaghetti squash recipe? Please share in the comments below so I can try it!
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