Making Spaghetti Out Of Squash

Well, I'm about to let the world know just how little I know about cooking. I suppose this won't be a huge surprise to those of you that know me. But I also suspect that some of you are equally unenlightened about cooking, so this post is for you. Consider it my personal public service to help bring cooking knowledge to the world. For those that already know what I'm about to share, well, feel free to ridicule, roll your eyes, ask yourself how I manage to function independently on a daily basis. Whatever. I've been busy learning other things in life...like how dissertations are mythical journeys that never actually end.

Ok, my fellow cooking-imparied friends. Did you know that to make spaghetti squash you don't actually have to take a squash and cut it into tiny little spaghetti-like slivers using a special-spaghetti making tool? Nope. There is actually a squash out there that comes premade that way. Want to know what kind of squash? (This is where those educated in squash varieties roll their eyes.) Spaghetti squash. There is actually such a thing as a spaghetti squash.

Seriously. For years I've looked longingly at photos of spaghetti squash recipes thinking, "If only I had the time and talent to make spaghetti out of squash." *sigh*

Ok, so it's not exactly premade spaghetti, but all you have to do is scrape the innards out with a fork and it magically becomes a huge pile of spaghetti. By the way super-smart cooking peeps, is there an official term for the entrails of a spaghetti squash? Because innards is the only word I can think of and it sounds a little less than appetizing.

After that, you just throw on some reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper and you have yourself the most delicious, filling, low-calorie meal you can imagine. Or go ahead and smother it in spaghetti sauce. You'll still be ok in the calorie area.

I will note, however, that you must cook it fully to get the desired spaghetti effect. Initially, I boiled it for 20 minutes, as per one Google suggestion. All I achieved from that attempt was a pile of rice-like squash.




Not to worry, though. After checking out a YouTube video, I decided to throw the squash into the microwave for another 6 minutes (12 minutes total if I had gone this route from the start), and the squash got all mushy as the video said it would. The rest was easy peasy.


Now my only issue is that I want to keep eating it even though I'm totally full after just one bowl.