Hey everyone!  It’s my favorite time of year, Fall!  And with Fall here comes Fall foods.  One of my recent favorites is squash.  And lately we’ve heard a lot about Spaghetti Squash, so I took the time and wrote up a very simple recipe for Spaghetti Squash for you.  This is a recipe to just get the Squash done.  How you dress it is entirely up to you.  My advice is to keep it simple: the Spaghetti Squash is DELICIOUS on it’s own.

Here we go!

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Grab your Spaghetti Squash and clean the exterior thoroughly.
3. With a very sharp knife (PLEASE BE CAREFUL!) start cutting the Spaghetti Squash in half.  This is not an easy task, as the exterior is tough and waxy.  The interior is also VERY firm. Start at the bottom, place the knife roughly half-way in the center, and give the bottom edge of your knife (not the cutting side) a firm thwack on the table or with your hand.
   
4. Using a smaller, just as sharp knife, slice into the center of the squash and run the knife around the edge of the pouch where the seeds are.  You want to go completely around the edge of the pocket.  This makes step #4 so much easier.
5. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and inner pulp.  It may be edible, but I’ve never bothered.
   
6. Place the prepared halves of squash onto a baking sheet with aluminum foil on it.
7. Pour about a teaspoon (tsp) of olive oil into the center of the squash.
8. Use a spoon, spatula, or brush to spread the olive oil to all fleshy-parts of the squash.
9. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fleshy-parts of the squash.
10. Bake for 45-60 minutes in the oven, rotating 1/4 turn every 15 minutes.
    
11. Wait 5-10 minutes for the squash to cool (you should be able to pick it up in your hand).
12. Using a fork, scrape the sides of the squash to get small strands.
    
13. Keep scraping all around the edges of the squash until you clear out the entire inside cavity.
    
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14. Transfer the scooped squash to a bowl and refrigerate for up to 5 days.  To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds, mix, microwave again for 30 seconds.

Here’s a video of scraping the spaghetti squash:

Enjoy!

Now the question is: what do you do with it?

You eat it!  Just like that.

Maybe with a little garlic salt and italian seasoning.

Maybe with a little garlic pesto.

Maybe with a little tomato sauce (not a meat-flavored one, think Prego Tomato Basil & Garlic)

The key here is to keep it simple.  Spaghetti Squash by itself is VERY flavorful, buttery almost.  Try it by itself, and season accordingly.

<3

-M

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