Spaghetti Squash 101

 

Never tried spaghetti squash??  Well now is the time!  Its a mix between spaghetti & a vegetable...what could be better?!?!  Well its not really a mix, but it is a vegetable that closely resembles spaghetti noodles in appearance, but lucky for you, not in calories & carbs!  1 cup of spaghetti squash has about 40 calories and 9 grams of carbs.  1 cup of spaghetti noodles (whole wheat of course!) will cost you about 175 calories and about 40 grams of carbs.

I like to serve this as a side dish - pair it with some grilled chicken and a salad - DELISH!  My favorite way to fix it is to toss it with a little bit of butter and Parmesan cheese on top, but you can definitely top it with marinara, alfredo sauce, pretty much whatever you like!  It doesn't have too much flavor so you can top it with anything.

Here is how it works...

First, cut it in half long ways, make sure to rinse it off really well first.  If you put it in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes it will be easier to cut.

It kinda looks like a pumpkin inside, so you will want to pull out all the seeds and stringy stuff (maybe it's called pulp?)...

Next, place it face down in a baking dish with about 1/4 c water - enough to cover the bottom of the dish. 

I cook it in the microwave (lazy) for about 10-12 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.  It can also be baked in the oven (uncovered) at 350 for about 45 minutes.  It will be pretty hot so be careful, but it should be soft and flexible when it's done.  Using a fork, pull it away from the skin, it will come off in strings that look like spaghetti...its very strange, but so good!

Next, toss it with whatever topping you like and serve!

ENJOY!