Properly Prepared Spaghetti Squash Recipe Foodcom Recipes

PROPERLY PREPARED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-375.
• Halve raw spaghetti squash with a sturdy sharp knife, scoop out, and discard the squash poop with a spoon.
• Place halves onto an oven safe cooking dish face up.
• Clean head of garlic and thinly slice garlic, (the larger pieces of garlic brown nicely, and offer a wonderful layer of complexity to the dish).
• Spread garlic into the bowl like shape of the squash, salt and pepper vigorously, drizzle with a 50/50 mixture of olive oil, and vegetable oil (get the oil everywhere inside the squash).
• Place onto the upper middle rack of the oven for about 30-40 minutes. (You will know it is ready when the squash separates with little resistance from the skin).
• Remove from oven, and place in coldest location possible for at least 20 minutes, before separating from skin.
• Use a fork to scoop and separate squash strands, add any other ingredients you like at this point.
• Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino, Feta, are all excellent additions to this dish, as well as, meat, sausage, veggies, olives, the list is endless.
• WARNING **** If you use a loose tomato based sauce DO NOT add it immediately to the squash; this makes the squash runny, mushy, and unpalatable. Instead garnish the dish with a little bit of sauce atop the squash, and then offer more sauce on the side, in a separate dish.
• If you ever had it served this way you know what I mean.
• You can also take any leftovers and add a little bit of flour, and make into patties and fry.

SOUTHWEST SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut squash in half lengthwise.
• Remove and discard seeds.
• Place squash, cut side down, in greased baking pan.
• Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until just tender.
• Using fork, remove spaghetti-like strands from hot squash and place strands in large bowl.
• Add tomatoes with juice, beans, 1/2 cup cheese, cilantro, cumin, garlic salt and pepper; toss well.
• Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
• Spoon mixture into casserole.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• Bake uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through.
• Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place halves, flesh side down, in a baking dish with enough hot water to come 1/4-inch up the sides of the squash.
• (The water prevents burning and helps steam the squash so it cooks more evenly.) Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the squash is soft when poked with a knife, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard the seeds.
• Scrape along the pulp with a fork and pull out and reserve shreds. Rub the bottom of a.
• medium (8-cup or slightly larger) gratin or baking dish with butter.
• Toss the "spaghetti" with the chopped sage, garlic, 2 cups of the cheese, cream, salt and pepper.
• Spread mixture in gratin dish (the squash layer should be about 1 inch thick). Sprinkle the remaining cheese over "spaghetti." Arrange the 3 remaining sage leaves on top of the gratin. Bake for about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over gratin and serve.
• Note: The squash can be baked a day ahead, following the above directions. If the top of the gratin doesn't turn golden brown, place it under the broiler for about 1 minute.