Are you wondering what to have for dinner tonight? How about spaghetti squash!
This tasty dish is incredibly easy to prepare and serve, plus it is super healthy as you are essentially eating a delicious plate of sauce-covered vegetables.
Here is how to cook and prepare spaghetti squash in 3 easy steps.
Step 1: Prepare it
You only need a few ingredients to prepare and serve your dish:
Squash
Sauce
Salt & Pepper
Butter (2 tablespoons)
A small squash (1.5 pounds) is large enough to serve up to 4 people as a side dish or 2 people as a main dish. A large squash (2 pounds or more) could serve as a main meal for up to 4 people.
The first thing you need to do is take your full squash and cut it down the middle lengthwise, so you have two long sides.
This the most difficult part of making spaghetti squash as it will take some effort. You will need to get a good chef's knife that is sharp enough and use some force, but you can do it.
Next, you need to scoop out all of the seeds.
As a bonus tip, you can save the squash seeds and make a tasty snack later on. Prepare those by placing them on a cooking sheet and adding on a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Put the squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle some butter on the open side along with a bit of salt and pepper for taste.
Step 2: Cook It
The fastest and most efficient way to cook spaghetti squash is in the oven. While this is the easiest way, it will also take a while, usually from 40 minutes to an hour.
Typically you will have a 1.5-2 pound squash. If so, cook according to these times:
Put oven at 425°F and cook for 35-45 minutes
Put oven at 400°F and cook for 40-50 minutes
Put oven at 375°F and cook for 50-60 minutes
Put oven at 350°F and cook for 55-70 minutes
Once 40 minutes have passed, you can check the squash by dragging a fork along the side. If you are not able to cut thin spaghetti-like pieces out of the skin, put it back in the oven.
Come back to it every 5-10 minutes after that with the same test.
Step 3: Serve it
Carefully take the squash out of the oven and put it on the table or counter. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
You should now be able to use a fork to scrape out thin "squash noodles" and put them on a plate. It will look like you have a plate of spaghetti.
Now bring your spaghetti squash to the next level by adding marinara or Alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, or all of the above.
This is our easy recipe for spaghetti squash. Do you have your own version that you would like to share? Spill your secrets in the comments.