Do you remember the gorgeous spaghetti squash that I bought on Grocery Grab Wednesday? A beautiful example of fall’s bounty for less than $3? Well, that very squash cooked up perfectly for a family of four (with enough leftovers for Meatless Monday tonight).
Spaghetti squash has a rich color and a surprisingly pleasing crunch unlike any other variety of squash. Growing up, my mom served spaghetti squash spaghetti-style with tomato sauce. Serving it like that makes it feel more like an entree. Plus, kids are more willing to try a veggie when it’s served like their favorite noodles.
Here’s how I made the spaghetti squash:
Spaghetti-Style Spaghetti Squash (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 1 3 lb spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon of butter, cut into small pieces
- salt and pepper, to taste
- water
- Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce (or your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds (and discard them) and place in a baking dish, cut sides up. Sprinkle cut sides with salt and pepper, and dot with butter. Add water to the baking dish until it is 1/4″ deep. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After removing the cooked squash from the oven, test that the flesh of the squash is tender with a fork. Run the fork through the flesh of the squash so it separates into strands (the squash should separate easily), and place the cooked squash strands in a serving dish. Continue until all of the squash has been removed from the rind. Serve the squash topped with steaming hot tomato sauce.
My husband and I love spaghetti squash for dinner. We serve it meatless, but you could easily add meatballs or Italian sausage if you are a meat-lover. The kids tried the squash, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of their favorites (yet). This was the first time I’ve served spaghetti squash to the kids, so I’m not giving up on their taste buds just yet!
