Although there is no true replacement for a hearty bowl of pasta, spaghetti squash can be a surprisingly delicious and low calorie alternative to your favorite noodle dishes!
This versatile vegetable’s peak season is early fall, making it the perfect time of year to try incorporating a new food into your meals. One cup of cooked noodles contains about 220 calories and 43 grams of carbohydrates. Spaghetti squash on the other hand contains around only 30 calories per cup and 7 grams of carbohydrates, meaning you can eat a whole lot more without any guilt!
Creating vegetable spaghetti from spaghetti squash is a simple 5 step process:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise from stem to tail and scrape out the seeds.* Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place squash, cut-side down, onto the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and roast until tender, about 35-45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
- Using a fork, scrape the flesh to create long strands.
Once the squash is cooked to perfection, there are endless possibilities of ways to prepare it. Try replacing noodles with spaghetti squash in one of your favorite dishes, or start with one of these recipes.
Roasted squash with parmesan and herbs
Garlic shrimp spaghetti squash
Sweet squash with butter and brown sugar
Happy Fall cooking!