Cooking spaghetti squash

[mcrx]

I try to eat as healthy as I can and I'm not one with weight issues, so I can eat as I wish. I would like to eat more veggies in general. So, I thought to try some spaghetti squash.

Anyone tried it? If so, how did you cook it? I'm planning to shave it with my fork and just drizzle is with olive oil and maybe some vinegar topped with feta cheese, oregano and pepper/salt when done baking.

Being that I haven't tried it before, does it bake quite soft? And is it a bland veggie that requires a lot of seasoning? How do you suggest I try it? I was thinking to have it as a side dish to my salmon or flounder.

Yeah, I started spaghetti squash a few years back (well, only made it like 2 or 3 times in all, but). It's great! Oh, and like the video in the quoted post above, I boil mine. But I didn't realize I could cut it in half and then boil!! Might do that next time (although it is pretty difficult to saw through...oh wait! that's the stem. haha yeah so if I cut it, I won't have to saw off the stem so that the entire squash fits in my pot! (well, maybe??)
Great topic!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

mcrx, you don't want to boil the split squash, you want to steam it. After you cut it in half, place it cut-side-down in the dish, then add a little bit of water. You can then roast it in the oven until tender or, the way I prefer, microwave for a short time.

 

[larry_stewart]

I do either the microwave or oven method too.
Problem I have with the microwave is that you have to do a half at a time.
with the oven, get both halves done at the same time.

I like mine with a little bit of a ' crunch' to it, almost like sauerkraut consistency.
IF left too long to cook ( either microwave or oven method), it gets too mushy for me.

Also , accumulates some liquid after you cook it, so make sure to drain it a bit, so whatever sauce you use doesn't become too liquidy or diluted .

 

[medtran49]

That does look good, and it's vegetarian. I'm going to take a stab at the amounts. Anybody else that watches the video and is interested, please chime in on what you think.

The SS is boiled in that video, but I think I'd steam or roast it just to keep from having the added water. Cool enough to handle and fork out the strands. I usually clean out the seeds before cooking, but he didn't so they needed to be discarded. For the rest, I'm thinking

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup (maybe even more cause it looks like a lot to me) chopped garlic
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup carrot
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup red bell
1/2 cup each yellow and zucchini squash
1/2 cup uncooked broccoli (though I think I'd steam it some before)
1/2 cup asapargus

Marinara sauce. He made a basic tomato sauce, let it cook for a bit, then added a generous splash of chianti, a handful of finely grated parm and some fresh basil, then let it cook for a bit more.

Fresh Moz

Fresh tarragon (though I'd use basil since I'm not fond of tarragon)

Saute shallots and garlic until soft. Add red onion, carrot, celery, red bell and saute until softening. Add yellow and zucchini squashes and let cook for a few. Add broccoli and asparagus and saute for a few. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Give it a stir and add a decent sized ladle of marinara, stir. Add maybe a little over half of the spaghetti squash, and he added S and P again. I'd taste at this point for S and P. After it cools a bit, add fresh tarragon (or basil) and another ladle of marinara. Stir. Stuff the spaghetti squash shells, mounding filling up nicely. (It looked pretty packed.) Top each half with a couple of slices of fresh moz and bake until warmed through and cheese is nicely melted (I'm thinking 20 minutes in a 375 oven?). Place a nice ladle of sauce on a plate and set squash half on top.

Made this tonight. It did need a lot of S and P. I also added some grated parm and some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling. Also, you need to add all the spaghetti squash. It was pretty darn good.

 

[larry_stewart]

Made this tonight. It did need a lot of S and P. I also added some grated parm and some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling. Also, you need to add all the spaghetti squash. It was pretty darn good.

I made it yesterday, I agree with the S&P, the veggies release a lot of water, so the sauce can dilute quite a bit. And I also added Parm. I would have added some crushed red pepper, but my wife doesn't like the heat. Makes quite a big portion.

 

[medtran49]

I made it yesterday, I agree with the S&P, the veggies release a lot of water, so the sauce can dilute quite a bit. And I also added Parm. I would have added some crushed red pepper, but my wife doesn't like the heat. Makes quite a big portion.

I ate half of my half, though Craig managed to eat all of his half.

 

[larry_stewart]

I ate about 2/3, my wife about 1/2 , chickens ate the leftovers

 

[Kayelle]

I do either the microwave or oven method too.
Problem I have with the microwave is that you have to do a half at a time.
with the oven, get both halves done at the same time.

I like mine with a little bit of a ' crunch' to it, almost like sauerkraut consistency.
IF left too long to cook ( either microwave or oven method), it gets too mushy for me.

Also , accumulates some liquid after you cook it, so make sure to drain it a bit, so whatever sauce you use doesn't become too liquidy or diluted .

Thanks for the tip Larry. Maybe I'd like it better that way. Can't stand over cooked spaghetti either, so it stands to reason.

 

[CWS4322]

I guess my issue is that I would not cook it to replace pasta since I don't eat pasta. My choice is veggies instead of pasta. I love squash but I don't like "spaghetti sauce" and I don't like the texture of spaghetti squash. The stringiness bothers me. It is gross in my teeth. Taste-it is too watery for me no matter how I have cooked it and doesn't taste like squash at all. Give that a pass in the produce section or what to spend real estate on in the garden.

 

[Kayelle]

OK, I think we've got it.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I roasted a spaghetti squash this morning and it did not look too big until I fluffed the strands out of the shell, now I'm wondering if I can freeze some of it. My concern is that it will become watery and mushy when thawed. Whadaya think?

I'm also wondering how it will work in a frittata. I'm thinking a couple of eggs a little cheese, etc...

 

[blissful]

I roasted a spaghetti squash this morning and it did not look too big until I fluffed the strands out of the shell, now I'm wondering if I can freeze some of it. My concern is that it will become watery and mushy when thawed. Whadaya think?

I'm also wondering how it will work in a frittata. I'm thinking a couple of eggs a little cheese, etc...

I think, since it holds it's own shape pretty good, it would be fine frozen, just drain it if water comes out of it. I put spaghetti squash in frozen 'dinners' for the guys and they liked it just fine.
It would be good in a fritatta. Give it a go.