I bought a spaghetti squash at the market. It sat on the counter for a couple of weeks, more as a fall decoration than a potential food item. But then Thanksgiving came and went, and it was still there. I figured it was do or die. If I didn’t deal with the darn thing, I might end up throwing it over the bank in the backyard like I did with the one last year.
Using Carla Emery’s The Encyclopedia of Country Living as my guide, I found out just how ridiculously easy it is to create a delicious low-calorie replacement for angel hair pasta.
Step 1: Throw the whole thing into a roasting pan and put into a hot 350 degree oven. Prick the skin with a fork. Bake for about 1 and a half hours or until a knife easily pierces the skin.
Hot out of the oven.
Step 2: After it cools a bit (don’t want to burn your fingers), slice lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and the pulp.
Step 3: Now the fun begins! I used a large salad fork to literally rake out the “spaghetti” onto a plate.
Now you’re ready to dress it up for dinner…
- Top with pasta sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Stir in a little butter, salt, and pepper.
- Pour on a little cream and stir in some grated cheese.
Other suggestions include serving it with chili or in a casserole or stir-fry. I like the idea of using it in place of lasagna noodles.
We had leftover squash which ended up in Jim’s vegetable soup the next day. You can also cook and then freeze the “spaghetti” for use at a later date.
Lots of possibilities here!
I’ll be back the Monday after Christmas. Have a Happy Holiday everyone!!!
Table Talk 