Thoughts on spaghetti squash

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  • dorothytd
    dorothytd Posts: 1,138 Member
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    Love it! But my family doesn't ... I like to roast it with a little olive oil and spices. Delicious by itself or with sauce.
  • MeDoula
    MeDoula Posts: 233 Member
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    What squash to you get for that? I heard of it but it sounds scary lol
  • kwin91
    kwin91 Posts: 128
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    I buy a small one, bake it and eat half of it for like maybe 160 calories and add half a cup of sauce with has like 50 calories and yummmmmmm. That's it. Its healthier for you and it tastes better than pasta, at least to me. I love it!
  • hrwhite02
    hrwhite02 Posts: 1
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    I love spaghetti squash! I am GF and it has been a life saver. It is low in calories (suprise) :) and it gives me a bit of the pasta fix that I am looking for. I would say give it a try...
  • kwin91
    kwin91 Posts: 128
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    Every time I make it, it ends up too watery. Any suggestions for dealing with that. I'd like to get my boyfriend to actually try it when it's prepared correctly.

    What I do is bake it for 40-50 mins depending on how big it is, when I'm scooping it out of the outer shell thing I do it in a strainer so if there is any water it goes right out.
  • lilpe5512
    lilpe5512 Posts: 425 Member
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    I am a self diagnosed pasta addict. I have heard so much about using spaghetti squash as a healthier alternative. I've never tried and it am interested in your suggestions. A bit nervous to try it because I have some "VERY" weird texture issues! :O)

    I'm with you on the different textures! I'm afraid to try it also. I tried that mock mash potatoes and it was horrible!
  • heatgal976
    heatgal976 Posts: 53 Member
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    I'm not sold on it yet as a pasta replacement. I had it last night and it came out watery or maybe overcooked. This happened to me twice, so next time I'm going to cook it with less time and see how it turns out.
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    i have never tried it but really want to try.. is it hard to find? i dont think i have seen it in the grocery store.. do you have to get them from whole foods or store like this? thanks!
  • minime2b
    minime2b Posts: 168
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    I love it but my hubby hates it. He will choking it down but only every once in a while. I guess like anything else it is personal preference
  • karoliknee
    karoliknee Posts: 7 Member
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    I haven't tried spaghetti squash yet, but I have tried using zucchini in place of my noodles and I love it!

    I use a mandolin, or sometimes vegetable peeler, and I just slice the zucchini thinly. Once it's all sliced, I put it in a pan with a little olive oil and cook it for a a few minutes until it's soft. And then I just add my pasta sauce over it and it's delicious. Coming from a former pasta addict, I've now been clean for seven months. :smile:
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    Take the gourd and make a small vent hole in it. place the gourd in the oven at 350 degrees. You can put a small piece of foil loosely on the top to prevent scorching. Bake until it feels tender to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool so you can handle it. Cut it open and scoop out the seeds...these can be roasted if you want. Put the "spaghetti in an oven proof dish and pour over your sauce...then top with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is bubbly. I love to make this ahead, then eat it reheated...I seem to like the "left-over" style best.

    You can dress it with parmesan, garlic, parsely and olive oil too...lots of options for spaghetti squash...have fun!
  • amy4586
    amy4586 Posts: 96 Member
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    I LOVE IT! What I usually do is boil the squash. once it is boiled I use a fork to remove the "meat" and I keep the shells off to the side. Then I put in sauteed onions, zucchini squash, green/red peppers, broccoli and garlic and crushed tomatoes. I mix the veggies with the squash put it back in the shell and sprinkle it with fresh mozzarella or fat free shredded mozz and bake until melted. SOOOOOO good!!!!!
  • santini1975
    santini1975 Posts: 175 Member
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    I'm making one tonight! I love it but you have to be careful how you dress it up. I tend to make up for its healthier qualties by drowning it in butter. Try it with pesto :)
  • LifeOnMars_
    LifeOnMars_ Posts: 755 Member
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    I still need to try it! :)
  • mandypizzle
    mandypizzle Posts: 633 Member
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    Oh my gosh I LOVE spaghetti squash!!! Let me share a DELICIOUS recipe I found with you! I could eat it every day!

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Squash-I/Detail.aspx

    My veggies in it were different though. I used spinach, tomato, garlic and onion all sauteed first and I used salt, pepper, and dried basil. And the feta totally make it! It's SO good! Oh and I don't grease the baking sheet. I put a thin layer of water on the bottom instead.
  • mandypizzle
    mandypizzle Posts: 633 Member
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    Ya, I don't think it tastes like pasta at all. I don't like it with meat and spaghetti sauce but I LOVE it with the recipe I posted. It's really good!
    I'm not sold on it yet as a pasta replacement. I had it last night and it came out watery or maybe overcooked. This happened to me twice, so next time I'm going to cook it with less time and see how it turns out.
  • rebeccasedwards
    rebeccasedwards Posts: 208
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    I eat spaghetti squash with sauce when I feed spaghetti to my family. I love eating something that is a lot healthier for me.
  • santini1975
    santini1975 Posts: 175 Member
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    Cut it in half long ways, and place it cut side down directly onto the oven rack. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Perfect everytime.
  • aylawill
    aylawill Posts: 65
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    I absolutely love it! I usually just bake it and then add a little olive oil and salt. Actually planted some in my garden this year, so hoping I'll have lots later this summer! :)
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
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    I love spaghetti squash but will admit there is a bit of a learning curve to cooking it. If it's overcooked, it will be mushy and watery as other posters have mentioned.

    I line a baking sheet with tin foil and use no more than a tbsp of olive oil drizzled on the foil. I cut the squash in half and scoop out the guts and then place it face town on the baking sheet. With the oven set to 425, it cooks in about 30-45 minutes for a big squash. Smaller squashes take 20-30 minutes. I start checking a big squash every 5 minutes at the 30 minute mark. You can tell when it's done when you can pierce the skin with a fork. I remove them from the oven, flip them over and let them cool about 15-20 minutes or longer before trying to scrape out the insides with a fork.

    I don't think it tastes like spaghetti, I think it tastes better. Pasta was always just a delivery vehicle for the delicious sauce for me, I could never eat just a plain old pasta noodle with salt and pepper, but I can certainly eat spaghetti squash on it's own when cooked properly!

    Best of luck!

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