Spaghetti Squash

It's beginning to look and feel a lot like autumn around here.

Finally.

Last weekend it hit 92 in some places. It's October... in Pittsburgh... Come on!

Fall brings us mums, pumpkins, apples... and comfort food. Lots of it.

I really like fall and winter foods, but sometimes they're just a bit too heavy. But I don't want a salad to lighten it up, either.

And this is where my friend, the spaghetti squash, steps in. It's fairly cheap, it has a long shelf life, and it's a vegetable pasta replacement! A triple threat. Feel like adding another reason why you should give it a try?

It's ready in 10-15 minutes in the microwave!

That's right, no stove or oven. Save those for cooler days or for baking cookies for dessert.

Follow here for many different ways to cook it in the microwave and experiment which is best for you.

Here's how I did it last night:

Remove stem and cut the squash in half lengthwise.

Remove seeds and the other inner "guts". If you feel like it, remove and clean the seeds to be roasted for a topping or nighttime snack. I don't like the feel of the guts, so that wasn't happening.

Place 1 half in microwave safe pan.

Add a half cup of water to the crevice and top with the other half.

Cook for 10 minutes, then check if done. There will be some give if you gently press on it and the insides will turn more translucent yellow instead of the milky whitish yellow. Add time if it's not done. Mine was a bit bigger then the pound and a half that 10 minutes cooks, so I added about 5 more minutes.

Careful, it's HOT! I use oven mitts to pick up the halves and to dump any leftover water out, then hold it with tongs as I scrape the spaghetti like strands out with a fork.

Use it like you would any other type of noodle. There is a slight difference with texture and taste, but you can't really tell. Last time I made it, I used jarred sauce and Pumpkin ate 2 bowls of it, but Snowflake barely touched it. This time I added butter, grated parmesan cheese, and some of the usual herbs and spices and Pumpkin didn't care for it, but Snowflake kept telling us how yummy it was and eating like she hasn't all day.

Really, it's that simple, and a great way to sneak in some veggies and to lighten up the usual heavier meals.

I hope you give it a try and let me know any recipes you've done with it and how your family (or just you) like it!

 (P.S. That's her "yummy" face.. she's saying it while eating.)