Spaghetti Squash.....How To

*Nerd alert!*
Get excited for this vegetable. It's pretty cool! I don't think I have ever had spaghetti squash until last night but I have always wanted to try it. I was a little nervous that I would mess up cooking it so I waited and did it when hubby was out of town. Poor guy, he missed a great meal! Below I'll show you two ways to prep this versatile veggie for maximum use, and believe me, there will be lots of spaghetti squash recipies to come!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

How to Roast Spaghetti Squash

spaghetti squash

olive oil spray

salt and pepper to taste (I used nutmeg)

baking sheet

foil for easy clean up

Start out by washing squash and preheating oven to 400 degrees.

Determine desired length of squash strands and cut squash in half accordingly. If you want longer strands, cut squash in half across the middle, like on the left. If you want shorter strands, cut squash in half length-wise, like on the right.

Spaghetti squash has seeds and thick strands in the center, similar to a pumpkin. Use a spoon and remove seeds and set aside. The seeds can be discarded or roasted like pumpkin seeds for a snack.

This is what it will looked like when it is hollowed out. 

Next, spray the squash with olive oil spray or lightly brush the inside with olive oil. Salt and pepper the inside. (I don't really like pepper, so I used freshly grated nutmeg).

Cover a baking sheet with foil and place squash on sheet, cut side down. 

Roast for 50 minutes, turning pan once. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

The squash strands will easily pull away from the skin with a fork. This is what the shorter strands look like.

Here is what the longer strands look like:

Pretty, huh?

Now get creative! Eat it with olive oil and salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on it. Smoother it with spaghetti sauce. Pretty it up with pesto. Cook it in a casserole. Add it to meals to bulk them up. Whatever you do, go get one today!

I think some people use this veggie in place of noodles as part of a low carbohydrate diet and that's fine, but I actually like the flavor of it. Spaghetti squash is so versatile because it takes on the flavor of what ever it is being cooked with. Roasted with a little salt, it had an amazingly warm nutty flavor and it was slightly sweet. I'm sure this would be fine cooked in the microwave also, but I just love the flavor that roasting brings to vegetables. Look forward to lots of creative uses for this winter squash from me; I'll keep them coming.