Spaghetti Squash

Magical spaghetti squash..  ... Since discovering this magnificent vegetable a few months ago, I have learned to love it for the nutrition (yellow vegetable) and for the taste.  Not only does it provide improved nutrition for my family, it is a way to get Journey to eat vegetables and replaces those pasta cravings that we occasionally have.

Pasta bought from the store, processed and made with white bleached flour is so so bad for you.  It raises blood sugars, provides NO nutritional benefit, and absolutely makes you fat!  But I have to admit that I love pasta dishes... delicious sauces over noodles.  But in reality, the noodle is just a vehicle for the sauce or you would be eating soup.

Spaghetti squash provides the perfect vehicle for sauces and is not only guilt-free but actually nutritious.  I can't wait to grow some in the garden next year!

Being a winter squash, it can be stored for a few weeks or even months in the right conditions and baking it could not be easier.  Just cut it in half and put olive oil on the cut sides after removing the seeds (dry those seeds in a window sill and save in the refrigerator until planting time in the spring and you have your own home-grown squash to last all winter).  Place the cut sides down in a shallow baking dish and put in a 350 degree oven for an hour or more.  Once cooled enough to handle, you can simply pull the stringy squash out... it looks just like spaghetti!

I froze a few bags of squash after baking my last one a month or so ago so today I thought we would try a new spaghetti squash recipe.  All I had to do was thaw out that squash and prepare it like this:

In a large fry pan, melt a bunch of butter (the more the merrier).. I used about 1/2 a stick.  Add to that some fresh garlic (you can never have enough garlic.. I probably used 2 tsp).  Into the garlic and butter I added some dried parsley and basil and a touch of oregano.  Then I added the thawed spaghetti squash and sauteed it all for a few minutes to mix up the flavors.  Salt and pepper to taste followed by a generous portion of Parmesan Cheese on top and we had a delicious side dish!

We all loved the finish result!  Delicious with any meal since garlic and butter can never be beat.  We had it with roast beef.  You should try it yourself... easy, fast, and lots of things could be tailored for an even better taste treat.  Maybe next time I will add some cauliflower or an additional vegetable to it!