Sure, I like winter squash – and I’ve certainly never turned down a plate of spaghetti and meatballs – but never in my wildest cooking dreams did I ever think that a squash could take the place of my beloved pasta!
Now, before you say I’ve gone and cannon-balled off the deep end, let me point you in the direction of member Tonya Young’s Spaghetti Squash Casserole. This delectable dish was my gateway into all things spaghetti squash! Try this yummy casserole as the recipe describes, or shortcut it and serve the plain baked squash alongside your favorite pasta sauce like Marina Gordon does with her Spaghetti Squash with Spinach Tomato Sauce.
There’s a strangely wonderful satisfaction that comes with scraping out the flesh of the squash and discovering the golden spaghetti-like strands that have formed during baking. The flavor may not be spot-on to its pasta cousin, but the squash offers up a tasty, slightly crunchy experience that I’ve come to just love.
Sure, it has immense nutritional value without all of the carbs of pasta, but it also just plain tastes good. Your kids and grandkids won’t even know they’re eating their veggies.
And psst… Try baking it and re-heating it the next day. Like many things in life, it’s sweeter the second time around!
Do you have tasty ways of sneaking vegetables into your meals? We’d love to hear ’em!