Spaghetti squash has recently become one of our family favorites. We started using this vegetable as a pasta substitute a few months back. It is called spaghetti squash because the strands of squash look like spaghetti after they are cooked and pulled from the skin. Spaghetti squash contains a wide range of vitamins. A 1-cup serving offers 5.4 mg of vitamin C, which is almost 10 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other vitamins include A, B-6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin K. Obtaining your daily vitamins through food sources such as spaghetti squash may be more beneficial than taking vitamin supplements, as food contains several chemicals that work together, making the vitamins function more efficiently.

Spaghetti squash has a nice soft texture, if you cook it long enough, and tastes wonderful with dishes that contain extra sauce — we love making this with Beef Ragu. If you undercook the squash, it will be crunchy, which works if you prefer a crunchier texture. I would recommend cutting the cooking time by 10-15 minutes to achieve this crunchier consistency. I also reommend lining your cooking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. As you can see from the pictures below, I did not do this the first time and it took two runs in the dishwasher to get the cookie sheet clean.

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Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 whole spaghetti squash
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Split the squashes in half and scrape out seeds. Line an oven tray with aluminum foil. Season the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. (You will notice one of my halves is missing pepper -- I leave pepper off the one I serve to the kids).
3. Place flesh side down and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until fully cooked.
4. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
5. When squash is cool enough to handle, using a large kitchen spoon scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin.
6. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

• 2 whole spaghetti squash
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Split the squashes in half and scrape out seeds. Line an oven tray with aluminum foil. Season the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. (You will notice one of my halves is missing pepper — I leave pepper off the one I serve to the kids).

3. Place flesh side down and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until fully cooked.

4. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.

5. When squash is cool enough to handle, using a large kitchen spoon scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin.
6. Enjoy!

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