Does spaghetti squash taste like pasta?

kimhaught · May 2011

If you like squash, then you would probably enjoy spaghetti squash. I have made it and put spaghetti sauce on it and serve. It is a good low carb alternative to pasta. If you try it let me know how you like it.
Kim

andketch · May 2011

It doesn't taste like pasta, but it is good. I cu mine in half and bake at 400 for 40 minutes or so. Scrape out the insides and then I put it in the crockpot to make sure it is tender - sometimes it is a little too crunchy for me just out of the oven. I add in ground turkey, crushed tomatoes and ff ricotta.

Zombielicious · May 2011

If you are looking for a pasta substitute, you could also try tofu shirataki. This is what I always use in place of pasta. 20 calories per 4oz serving. I'm subscribed to Hungry-Girl.com & she always raves about them. So, I finally tracked them down and tried them for myself and I love them! They don't taste exactly like pasta, the texture is a bit different at first but then it goes away. And I would suggest rinsing and boiling them first before you serve them. But other than that, they rock! There are a few varieties - fettuchini, spaghetti and angel hair. I believe they are coming out with a macaroni soon too!

Oh yeah, I've had that before. The smell before you rinse it is foul. I suppose it works in place of pasta well, especially for the calories. The texture is a bit off...and it's a tad chewy...but not bad overall.

JEK717 · May 2011

Um well i have had it before and i personally do not think it tastes like spaghetti but my step mom says it tastes really good.

nybor101 · May 2011

I am Italian and have not touched pasta in six months, and really I could care less about it. My success is more important and with foods like sphagetti squash and the rest I described above, it is totally possible.

Here is another idea---take zucchini and peel it, skin and all, until you get to the seeds, then throw it out. Take about 3 of them and put them in pan with 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 2 wedges of laughing cow cheese, garlic and pepper, cover and steam, stir, steam, stir, etc, until the cheese is melted and noodles are soft. My husband who is not dieting begs for these, and swears it tastes just like alfredo.

awesome!!

Winged_Victory · May 2011

I loooooove it. Doesn't taste exactly the same as pasta, but it tastes delicious!

Easy to cook in the microwave. I always just stabbed it several times with a nice, put it in whole and did 7 mins then turned it over for 8 mins. Cut in half, scrape out seeds then scoop out flesh and serve.

suzooz · May 2011

bump

saphire76 · May 2011

I read all of the comments above but I've never tried Spaghetti Squash. How would I cook it if I wanted to make it as much like spaghetti as possible? Boil it? I've never even seen it before but I'm on a MISSION for some pasta substitue lol. I cannot simply 'reduce' my whole wheat pasta portion...that's just a tease!:laugh:

Google Rachel rays recipe.

cindy4mica · May 2011

i'm going to answer "no" on the "does it really taste like pasta?" question. but i'm italian and a "pasta snob" so unless it's authentic with homemade sauce, i won't like it. :bigsmile: however, it *is* good when baked with butter & brown sugar. you can substitute the i cannot believe it's not butter spray (zero calories) and a low-cal sugar substitute, but it won't taste exactly the same (or as good - but that's the case with most "diet" foods).

Tribonian · May 2011

I put on most of my 30s weight in Italy with pasta and am now trying to lose it in my early 40s.

There is a whole art of matching the shape of the pasta to the shape of the ingredients it is served with- long pastas for saucier toppings, short pastas that match or complement the shapes of diced vegetables etc. Spaghetti squash seems to work pretty well in taking up the flavors reeserved for paste lunghe.

Much as I love pasta lunga (esp. linguine), I prefer pasta corta like orecchiette, gemelle and loved acini di pepe in broths. The dish I missed was pasta e fagioli and I find that carmelized cauliflower works pretty well as a short pasta substitute.

I've also found that zucchine can also get a very starchy consistency if you are patient and carmelize medallions over low heat with garlic.

buon appetito!

watsonisin · May 2011

I'm with you anharrison, I was a bit disappointed. What was I thinking. . . it is a squash afterall. I guess I got my hopes a little to high LOL. Mixing with whole wheat spaghetti is a really good idea. Thanks!

hgellings · May 2011

Bump

Sebidian · May 2011

I tried it and did not like it - and it was alot of work. Another tip from Hungry Girl that is easy - broccoli slaw. I hate broccoli, but when you soften the slaw up in a fry pan with a little bit of water, you can put whatever toppings on that you can pasta. I have done light alfredo sauce, and marinara. Both were good, and very quick/easy to make. There are other comments about broccoli slaw here, just do a search.

lilRicki · May 2011

I love spaghetti squash, in fact we're having it tonight...but I just bake it with a scootch of margarine and tons of dill and eat as is...no sauce...

heathersmilez · May 2011

NO! It tastes like a vegetable even when covered with sauce. Perhaps mix some with regular pasta.

Even the smallest squash makes too much for me so I have made squash fritters with the leftovers which were super healthy and then my husband would eat them.

mrogers52 · May 2011

Spaghetti squash tastes wonderful in True Foods spaghetti squash casserole. Recipe is in the database. It is some work. I made sure i added enough red pepper flakes to punch up the taste. so worth it:glasses:

busymnmom · October 2011

bump

Lisa__Michelle · October 2011

Spaghetti squash with pasta sauce on it is my new favorite food!

sarab99 · October 2011

I put sage (dried or fresh) and Parmesan cheese on it and a little olive oil. It doesn't taste like spaghetti but it's super filling and really good! Plus....really low calories.

I haven't tried the sage, but the olive oil and parmesan cheese are awesome on it :happy:

theome · October 2011

iv had spaghetti squash, it was baked and i didnt like it at all, too crunchy but i am going to try boiling it this time.

TamLind83 · October 2011

there you go! That's the way I do it -- boiling just seems icky... wouldn't that really water-log it down?

anyway, roasting brings out more flavor! I use extra virgin olive oil instead of margarine, though -- just a little, though: less than a teaspoon on each side. i just rub it on the cut side in order to enhance the browning.

Boiling it absolutely makes it watery. I recently found this out when I was in a hurry and didn't want to wait an hour for it to cook in the oven. I ended up having to wait for it to cool down so I could scrape it out of the skin and then I put it into a non-stick skillet with a little bit of olive oil and cooked it until most of the water had cooked off. I topped it with a bit of parmesan cheese after and it was great! I will certainly only use the oven to cook it from now on, and you're right, I felt like it had more flavor when it was baked in the oven.

rmworthem · October 2011

hmm... sounds like I should give this a try with a little bit of spaghetti and sauce. i wonder if I should tell my husband. I don't think he would care too much. I hate squash but it sounds like it maybe worth a try. I would read the recipes with this in it and go... eww, yuck squash. But I do have to start eating better.

Since boiling takes away from some of the taste, how long do you boil it? It would seem like a good way to start adding it to my diet.

crzyone · October 2011

I bake mine in the microwave with a bit of butter, cinnamon and sugar (or sweetener).

SuzieGarner · March 2012

AGREED!! Oh man, those shiritaki stunk up my house and the smell made it impossible for me to eat them.

twiglips · March 2012

bump - lots of great ideas on this post! thanks! : )

marie_2454 · March 2012

Absolutely not! I looks like yellow pasta, but the taste is nowhere close, IMO. I've had it a few times and actually really like it, but I can't see anyone eating it and not even thinking that something was a little off; the texture's not really the same. When I had it, I just put some salt, pepper, and a little parmesan on it, but I think a lot of people eat it with pasta sauces.

handpaintedshoe · March 2012

No, spaghetti squash is named that because of the spaghetti like flesh inside the squash. It tastes very much like "squash". I used to eat this years ago, and is best with melted butter and brown sugar:) I am sure there is a lower fat version, but I wasn't fond of the flavor hence the butter/brown sugar. Good luck!