One day during a cooking class I was co-teaching, we surprised the audience with (unplanned) sound effects! We had prepared a spaghetti squash by piercing it with a fork. Then we put it in the microwave to soften the skin, making it easier to cut. As we went about demonstrating other recipe steps, the microwave popped LOUDLY. The squash had exploded- all over the inside of the microwave. Enough was salvaged so that everyone got to taste this delicious winter squash, and our audience loved it!
Here is why you’ll want to try some spaghetti squash-
Entertainment value-Involve kids with picking the right squash. Look for one that is heavy for its size, firm and has a nice lemon color. If it’s green, it’s not ripe. After cooking, kids and adults will be amazed at the spaghetti-like strands that can be scraped out of the skin with a fork. Its seeds can be scooped out before or after cooking, rinsed and tossed with a little olive oil, some salt and pepper and roasted at 300℉ for 8-10 minutes.
It’s delicious! It has a slightly sweet, crunchy texture that goes well with many dishes. You can use it in any recipe that calls for spaghetti or rice.
It’s nutritious- A great way to add more veggies to your meals, it’s low in calories with just 40 per cup, packed with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium- nutrients that keep our heart beating and our immunity strong. It’s also low in fat and sodium and is lower in carbohydrate than regular spaghetti.
It’s easy to prepare-In spite of my cooking class experience, spaghetti squash is easy to prepare. All you have to do is clean the outside with water, pierce the squash numerous times with a sharp fork and microwave it on high until the skin is soft, 10-12 minutes. After it cools, cut it in half. Then use a fork to pull out individual strands of spaghetti.
Here is a tasty, simple spaghetti squash recipe:
Cheesy Veggie & Spaghetti Squash Bake
Serves 6
1 whole spaghetti squash
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
16 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Poke spaghetti squash all over with a knife and cook in the microwave for 8- 12 minutes until soft. While squash is cooking, add the oil, garlic, pepper, zucchini, and carrots to a pan, cooking over medium heat.
Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and scrape the flesh from the peel with a fork. Place the spaghetti squash flesh in a casserole dish. Add the cooked veggies, diced tomato, sauce, and most of the cheese and mix well. Sprinkle leftover cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Allow to cool for five minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe and facts from fruitsandveggies.org
