Spaghetti Squash 101

I'm making spaghetti squash tonight for dinner & it occurred to me that some of you may have never cooked this vegetable before. So here's a quick, easy way to prepare it. Also, for any of you that might be doing the South Beach diet, this is a good way to get your "pasta" fix without going off the diet. (No, it won't taste the same but it's not bad...and this is coming from a non-vegetable fan, so you know it can't be all that bad.)

Using a sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise.

Take a large tablespoon and scoop out seeds. You'll be left with two 'shells.'

Place squash halves upside down into a shallow baking dish. Fill with 1/4 cup water.

Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap.

Place dish into microwave and cook on HIGH for 6-8 minutes.

Remove from microwave and let sit for 3-5 minutes before removing plastic wrap.

Take each half & scrape meat from inside each shell with a fork. This will create your "spaghetti" strands. Serve as normal with pasta gravy.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Don't throw away those seeds though. Remove the meat from them and rinse well. Spread out on a towel and place in a sunny place (like your kitchen window) and allow to dry. You can either store them in the icebox, wrapped in a clean paper towel placed in a sealed envelope or zip top bag. Or if you have ability, plant them now in starter pots and let them start germinating to plant in your garden bed.