Recipe: Garden Fresh "Pasta"
The flesh of spaghetti squash, when cooked, comes out like strands of cooked spaghetti and makes a great light stand-in for pasta lovers.
Prepare squash by cutting in half lengthwise and removing seeds. Pierce skin several times with a fork and follow one of the cooking methods below.
To bake, prepare squash, and place cut side down, in a large baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until skin is tender and strands may be loosened easily with a fork.
To microwave, prepare squash and place cut side down, in a baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap, folding back a small edge of wrap to allow steam to escape. Cook on HIGH 7 to 10 minutes.
To boil, prepare squash and place cut side down in a Dutch Oven, add water to a depth of 2 inches. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Cool cooked squash. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands of pulp. Discard shell.
Yield: 1 medium spaghetti squash equals about 4 cups cooked.
I prefer to bake it and either top with some marinara or sometimes just drizzle with olive oil and have some steamed veggies with it. Either way it is healthy and delicious.
Submitted by: Stefanie Mullins, Butyoudontlooksick.com, © 2006
