More winter squash

Growing up, my mother (Mama) cooked standard home-cooking fare and she did it well (still does, for that matter). Every night was a meat, a starch, a vegetable and a green salad. Every night....no matter what. There were four of us kids and with two older brothers, the starch was usually a huge part of the meal. ("Filler", as my father (Honey) would call it.) 
A lot of things have changed since those days. We've been through a lot of cycles of what's healthy; what's verboten; what's best; what should be on our plates. And, carbs (formerly known as starches), seem to be in question much of the time. While I generally subscribe to the "everything in moderation" adage, and don't like to be too reactionary when it comes to choosing food items,  I do feel that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is sorely lacking in its inclusion of fresh vegetables. 

That's where this interesting winter squash, the Spaghetti Squash, comes in. It surely is a vegetable, but when cooked, it can be prepared and act as a stand in for traditional pasta. See there? Two birds, one stone. A nice little example of efficiency of effort.

This squash can be cooked several ways - boiled, roasted, and believe it or not, microwaved. As usual, I went with roasting as I think it really makes for best flavor and as I said before, it is hands-free cooking once it is in the oven. Once cooked, it is delicious with just a drizzle of butter or olive oil and a sprinkle of herbs and a little Parmesean cheese. I think that once you try it, you'll see that it can really do a great job as a stand in for pasta. So, think of it that way and top it as you would spaghetti. Perhaps, a little sauteed mushrooms and bacon? or maybe some sauteed chard and onions? or go traditional and top it with some plain ol' Italian tomato sauce.

Easy Spaghetti Squash

Here's what I did: 

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped herbs of your choosing (rosemary, basil, thyme, chives, dill), for serving
• Sprinkles of Parmesean cheese (fresh, avoid the green can)
• 1 tablespoon butter, for serving
• Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
• Medium-size roasting pan (or baking sheet)
• Fork
• Small serving bowl

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Be careful and go slowly. If that scares you, please don't end up in the emergency room over a squash. You can  either cook it whole (it will take longer) or you can try cutting it cross ways rather than lengthwise. 
2. Scoop out and discard the seeds and the stringy bits.
   
3. Rub cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash halves cut side up in a  roasting pan. 
4. Roast for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer punctures the flesh of the squash easily. Check on it at the midway point and if the squash seems to be drying out while baking, brush with an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
   
5. Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool just enough so you can handle it, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the flesh from the squash into stringy "noodles" with a sturdy fork and place in a small serving bowl. If some of the strands clump or gather together, you can just separate them using your hands. Serve squash with a bit of butter and a teaspoon or so of your favorite fresh or dried herbs. 
   
   
   

Additional Notes: 

• There are some who feel that cooking the squash whole and then cutting makes for an easier go of it. I tried that once and didn't really care for trying to dig all of the seeds out of the cooked, edible part of the squash. 
• If you have leftover cooked spaghetti squash, it keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and reheats in the microwave. It is a good thing to cook on Sunday and keep in the fridge for use during the week. Maybe one day sauteed with some garlic and another day with a tomato sauce...you get the idea; be creative.

Do you have a great recipe for Spaghetti squash? Tell me what you do.

Happy Cooking!

sld

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