Spaghetti Squash

I love Spaghetti Squash (And apparently, so does my cat). It's very yummy, and doesn't really taste all that much like "squash". It also gives you big bang for your buck. This weekend I was able to purchase winter squash for $0.69/lb at our local veggie market (farmer's market kind of thing). Spaghetti Squash also packs a punch in the calorie department since it has under 50 calories for a cup of it. Since it can be used in place of pasta, it's great for low calorie cooking as pasta is closer to 200... and then some calories for a 2 oz serving dry.

So, how do you cook Spaghetti Squash you ask... well, it can be done in the microwave, but I like to bake it. So, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Prick the flesh of the squash with a knife a few times. Place into a 9x13 baking dish and put about 1 1/2 cups of water in the dish. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until a fork can be insert into the skin and come out easily... Grab a fork and use it to release the strands from the flesh - it will look like spaghetti.

I really like to cook this with homemade spaghetti meat sauce, but love to have it (as I did last night) as a side dish... What I do is this...

Ricotta Spaghetti Squash
1 cup cooked spaghetti squash
1 Tbl Ricotta Cheese (*)-- you can use part-skim or fat-free
salt and pepper to taste
fresh italian parsley, chopped

Mix and serve warm

You could add some garlic, olive oil... the possibilities are endless. But, if you've never tried spaghetti squash - give it a try!!!

Here are pictures from last night...