Whether you’re living grain-free, or taking The Whole30 Challenge, saying bye-bye to pasta doesn’t mean you have to miss out on delicious noodle-slurping fun!
Baked spaghetti squash is a tasty alternative that enables you to enjoy classic Italian-inspired favorites (such as spaghetti and meatballs) since it substitutes well in virtually any pasta dish. Plus, it’s nutritionally superior to regular pasta, which is high in calories and contains little nutritional value.
The good news is … you can feel great about filling your plate with baked spaghetti squash, because this nutritious, low-carb option provides a healthy dose of vitamins A and C, and is also rich in B vitamins. Spaghetti squash is also a good source of key minerals, such as potassium, manganese, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc.
Another reason to add spaghetti squash to your menu is because it’s so incredibly easy to make. Simply cut a spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, brush with olive oil and bake. Then, use a fork to remove the spaghetti-like flesh from the peel. It’s the perfect pasta alternative and pairs wonderfully with just about any sauce or stew you enjoy.
As mentioned above, one of our favorite ways to use baked spaghetti squash is to top it with my easy and delicious Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce & Meatballs. A couple of out-of-the-ordinary ways to enjoy squash pasta is to top it with our favorite Sweet Potato Chili. It’s also great topped with my Slow Cooker Italian Beef Ragu.
Of course, there are so many options for enjoying baked spaghetti squash. I’d love to hear your favorite ways for using this tasty, healthy alternative. Please feel free to share your delicious ideas in the comments below.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (about 2 lbs)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp fine chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Brush both halves with a little olive oil and season with sea salt. Awesome Update! I recently discovered that if you cut the squash in half at its center, rather than lengthwise (like I've shown in the photo), you can actually get longer noodles. Woot!
- When ready to bake, place the squash flesh side down and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until fork tender. (The squash is ready when you can easily pierce through the flesh with a fork. Do not overbake or your noodles will be mushy.)
- When done, remove from oven and let it rest until cool enough to handle.
- Then, use a fork to gently rake the squash flesh from the peel. (Gently run a fork around the inside of the squash in a circular motion. This will result in less breaking of the strands so you have longer noodles.)
- Transfer spaghetti squash "noodles" to a serving dish. Toss with a little olive oil, sea salt and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Or top with your favorite sauce or stew. (If you're prepping ahead, refrigerate the squash noodles in an airtight container up to five days for use in making quick-n-easy future meals.)
Notes
You'll need one medium-size spaghetti squash (about 2 lbs) to make 3-4 servings of squash pasta.
