You may have heard of using one thing or another to replace pasta. Spaghetti squash is one of those replacements: grain free, obviously, and much lower-carb than a traditional pasta. It’s not exactly like pasta, mind you, but it gets the job done. You don’t need to miss having pasta anymore! Another great reason to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta is that it’s one way to add yet another vegetable to your meals.
The way you make it is pretty simple, and you have a couple of options.
Cooking
You have three options when it comes to cooking the squash: you can cut it in half and bake it, you can leave it whole and bake it, or you can put it into the crockpot to cook along with whatever meat you’re planning to serve with it.
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Always wash the outside well and pat dry.
Cut In Half And Baked
If you’ve chosen to cut it in half to bake it, use a very sharp knife – and some elbow grease – and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and place it cut-side down in a bit of water inside a glass baking dish. Some people pierce the skin but you don’t have to. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until tender at 375F. Pull it out of the oven and let it cool for about five minutes, and then scrape the flesh out using a fork from one side to the other. This will create long strands like pasta.
Baked Whole
If you choose to cook it whole, be aware it’s going to take longer; a squash that takes 40 minutes to cook when you cut it in half is going to take around an hour to cook if you leave it whole. Make sure to pierce the skin several times before you put it into the oven. Just keep checking to see if it’s tender enough. Be very careful that you don’t burn yourself getting the pulp, seeds, and flesh out.
Cooked In Crockpot
If you plan to crockpot your meal, why not cook the squash in there with it? Cut it in half and place it cut side down surrounded by the meat and other ingredients in the crockpot. The squash might be done before everything else and you don’t want to overcook it, so check it after about three hours on high and five hours on low.
Tip: keep the squash seeds to roast just like pumpkin seeds! They’re delicious.
Recipe Ideas
There is no end to the myriad of different recipes you can make using spaghetti squash as pasta. Traditional spaghetti, pasta with Alfredo sauce, spaghetti with meatballs, turkey Bolognese, pasta with artichoke lemon pesto chicken, rosemary lemon pasta…the list is only limited to your imagination.
Spaghetti With Meat Sauce
Cook your squash. While it’s baking, cook some ground beef and onions in a pan until the meat is browned. Drain off any excess grease and set the beef and onion mixture aside. Heat some oil in the skillet and sauté some vegetables of your choice: mushrooms, red and green peppers, and zucchini work well. Add some crushed tomatoes and continue to simmer until the veg are all cooked through. Add the meat mixture back in and stir it all together. Simmer it while you wait for the spaghetti squash to finish cooking and while you get the strands out and onto the plates. Serve while hot. Top the squash with a drizzle of olive oil and dollop each with a generous serving of the meat sauce.
Pasta With Alfredo Sauce
This is a really nice meal. You could make it lower fat with fat-free ingredients, but why would you want to? Note: this recipe contains dairy, which you can omit or substitute if you like.
You’ll need two cups of chopped chicken breasts, two cups of cooked broccoli, one tray of sliced sautéed mushrooms, two tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of minced garlic, two tablespoons of a thickening agent (arrowroot flour works well), one cup of chicken broth, one-quarter cup of plain Greek yogurt, one-quarter cup of milk (use whatever kind of milk you would normally use – almond, cow’s milk, whatever), salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of ground nutmeg, three-quarters of a cup of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, and one spaghetti squash already cooked and shredded into pasta.
Saute the garlic in the olive oil for about two minutes, and then add your chicken broth, yogurt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Bring that to a boil and whisk in the arrowroot flour. Lower the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the chicken and stir in the squash to heat it. Serve it tossed with more Parmesan if you like.
Spaghetti With Meatballs
Are you intrigued with the idea of cooking your squash in a crockpot along with the rest of the meal? If so, you’re going to love this one!
Take a pound of ground Italian sausage, a can of tomato sauce, some garlic (as much or little as you like), a couple tablespoons of olive oil, Italian seasoning, and a medium-sized spaghetti squash. You can even use some hot pepper relish if you want to add some more heat. Use your largest crockpot for this so you can fit everything in.
Put everything but the meat and the squash into the crockpot and stir it all up.
Cut the squash in half and get out the pulp and seeds. Put the squash face-down into the bottom of your crockpot. Roll the sausage into meatballs about 1.5 inches across, and place them in around the squash. You might not be able to fit them all in. Cover and cook on high for three hours on high or five hours on low. Pull the squash out first, shred it to get out the flesh, and dish that onto plates or into bowls. Next, spoon out your meatballs and sauce and serve it atop the squash. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Storage
You can store uncooked spaghetti squash up to six months in a cool room (between 50 and 60F). It will keep several weeks at normal room temperature.
Cooked spaghetti squash will last three to five days in the refrigerator.
Sources
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-squash-with-paleo-meat-sauce/
http://www.colleenandkeith.com/2013/02/how-to-use-spaghetti-squash-instead-of.html
http://paleopot.com/2013/03/stupid-easy-paleo-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/
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