Pasta Pretender...

     At my Weight Watcher meetings I've brought up the idea of substituting spaghetti squash for pasta a couple times.  I heard this idea at a meeting about a year ago and thought, "Yeah, that'll happen - not!"  I like to think I didn't snort in disgust out loud...  

I'm slow to try new foods that I think (i.e. KNOW) I won't like - makes sense, right?  And I DO NOT like squash. Period.  It's a textural thing for me but luckily spaghetti squash has its own unique texture, a very mild flavor and is just slightly sweet.  By the second eating I found I liked it and by the third time I loved it!  It goes together with tomato-based foods (such as marinara or ratatouille) like they were made for each other.  

     Cooking spaghetti squash couldn't be easier as I found out on YouTube.  Now I'm all for roasting vegetables to bring out their flavors and for my curried-ginger butternut squash soup (my husband's favorite) I roast the squash, but for this pasta pretender I want as little squash flavor as possible and I want it quickly, so I microwave it.  After trying a few of the posts I saw, I'll share a conglomeration that is now my go-to method.

Spaghetti Squash Cooked in the Microwave

     After washing your squash cut off the stem end.  Using a small, sharp knife pierce the squash up, down and around about 8 times.  Place the squash in a microwave-safe dish (I use a small Pyrex baking dish) and microwave about 5-8 minutes per pound.  I turn over the squash after the first round of cooking.  It is done when it feels soft under its "shell" when you press down - check on the opposite side, too.  When I have a large squash I cook just half and put the other half in a Ziplock bag in the frig.  I spray my baking dish with cooking spray, lay the squash half cut-side down, add a little water and microwave.

Easier than cooking pasta!

     Slice the squash down the length and use a spoon to remove the seeds (it's so much easier now than when raw).  Get out a fork and just drag from top to bottom to pull out the "spaghetti".  I put a couple folded white paper towels in the bottom of a holding/serving bowl to absorb the water that is released but that's just my preference.  The squash is very forgiving as it will stay hot (in or out of it's shell) for a good bit of time; it has a nice little crispiness when underdone and it doesn't seem possible to overcook.  

Sauteed veggies in jarred marinara over squa-ghetti.

     I hope you aren't as slow as me when it comes to trying spaghetti squash - you're missing out on a very good thing!  I would never mistake it for pasta but in several dishes I prefer it to pasta and I love the low Points and the idea of enjoying something that's good for me.  I enjoy squa-ghetti with marinara and meatballs, with ratatouille and sauteed vegetables...Hopefully my list will be expanding and my waist will not!


A note to my fellow Weight Watcher Friends:  Recipe Builder estimated 2 Points for a medium-sized spaghetti squash.  Two servings are 1 Point per serving, three servings are 1 Point per, four servings are 1 Point per but 5 servings are 0 points per serving.