Hi, y'all--
I'm curious about spaghetti squash. I'm trying to go low carb, and it was one of the suggestions for veggies. I know nothing about it. How do you make it? Is it storeable or freezable? How many servings do you get in one squash? And how do you know when it is ripe (or is that not an issue)?

ANY info would be swell!

Many thanks!
Susan

I wash it, split it in half and scoop out the seeds, then put it cut side down in the microwave with a little water, cook til soft, then scrape out the "spaghetti" I usually get two servings or so, but it depends on the size of the squash. Season as you like.

It's actually pretty good, sometimes I bake it with sauce, like a baked spaghetti too.

I by the large ones since I have the girls. After it is tender I scoop out and use it in lew of spaghetti. (I use sauce and lean burger and shrooms and onions and all that.)

I got from eating the extra calories from the noodles, the extra fat from the burger. Making the meal much healthier.


I ti sreally good just as is though, heh I haven't tried it yet without swimming in butter though:P

I cook it in the microwave the same way mothermavis does. Then I scoop it out into a baking pan, sprinkle it with feta, a nice layer of mixed vegetables including portabello mushrooms, onions, broccoli and maybe a stir-fry blend. I sometimes add more cheese or Morningstar Farms chicken strips if I want to boost the protein.Sprinkle desired seasonings over everything and bake it for 30 minutes. DH absolutely loves this meal!!!

I do the microwave thing, and I had it at Bonefish Grill once that I loved and tried to duplicate it.

I have come close. I blend olive oil (one tbsp) and reduced orange juice (start with 1/4 cup). Toss, add about 1 tsp of sea salt and toss again.

I have yet to be able to make spaghetti squash in a way that makes me think it is a real substitute for pasta. I just don't buy it. I have to treat it like a vegetable, not a grain.

Thank you all! I'm looking forward to trying it!

Susan

Susan, We planted spaghetti squash this summer. We had it running out of our ears. I cook it one of two ways. First way is to cut it, scoop out the seeds, put it cut side down in a glass dish with a little water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 20 minutes for one half, 30 minutes for both halves. Check it every so often to make sure you aren't overcooking it. It should be soft, but not mushy. I also cook it in the oven (around 375 - 400) on a cookie sheet cut side down in a little water. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes (I'm estimating - I haven't actually timed it.) A friend of mine cooks it whole after puncturing it with a knife a few times.

You can freeze it. I have frozen it in a recipe and alone, and it is rather watery when you thaw it, so I would expect it to be watery if frozen in a recipe. I would estimate that a whole one has four - five big servings.

If it's in the store it's ripe. If you are harvesting it, you will pick it when the vine near the squash starts to die down. They don't continue to ripen after you remove it from the vine.

My favorite recipe is with chicken spaghetti, a southern comfort food. It has rotel tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms, chicken and cheese. After saving all of the calories I would normally get from the pasta, I can splurge a little on cheese.

I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows the other day, Everyday Food. They have different people cooking, about 5 of them in the 1/2 hour and it goes quickly and you very often get 5 decent recipes or at least ideas.

Well, I've always cooked my spaghetti squash after cutting it open lengthwise, with much difficulty and then baking it.

The other night, they were making it on Everyday Food. She just poked some holes in it with a fork and baked it that way. And then when it was done, she cut it width wise, NOT lengthwise. She said she discovered that lengthwise was going against the grain, and that if she cut it the short way, she actually got longer strands and by the looks of things, she was 100% correct. You of course must scoop out the sees when it's done baking, trying to be careful not to lose the flesh.

I can't wait to try it this way.

Interesting about cutting it width wise. I will try that next time!

I am also going to get my husband to plant it in our garden next year. Glad to hear it's so prolific, Tammy!

It certainly was prolific. It just comes in all at once. Most squash that I've grown come in over a course of a month or 6 weeks or longer. Not this stuff. It's all ready at once. Of course, being a winter squash it will keep for several months afterwards.

I also cut mine length wise. I'll have to remember to try it width wise next time.