Spaghetti Squash Reinvented

Based on my not-so-scientific poll, it turns out that spaghetti squash is a very polarizing vegetable; people either really love it or really hate it!  I quickly realized that the people in the “hater” category were (1) expecting it to taste like the gluten-ess Italian dish that the vegetable is so aptly named after, and (2) clueless as to the potential of the countless ways to prepare this delicious and nutritious vegetable. I’ll let you know right now that you will not want to eat spaghetti squash again unless you make the right decision to jazz it up with some spices and sauces.

The San Francisco Chronicle has a digestible summary on the health benefits of Spaghetti Squash v. Pasta:

Spaghetti squash and pasta are both low fat, low in salt and have 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber. Pasta has 158 calories, compared to only 27 in squash, but pasta also has 8 times more protein, providing at least 10 percent of the recommended daily intake based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Spaghetti squash has 7 grams of carbohydrates; pasta has 31 grams.

Easy Breezy Meatless Monday Spaghetti Squash

This recipe is meatless but feel free to add chicken sausage or chicken breast for some extra protein.

1/2 Spaghetti Squash

1 Zucchini, chopped and cooked

2 Tablelspoons Quark**

4 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

1 Tablespoon Rosemary

4 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, torn

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

truffle salt & pepper

1. Cook Spaghetti Squash by either microwaving for 10 minutes or baking in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. (Be sure to pierce the squash so that it doesn’t explode). Cut in half.

2. Scrape spaghetti squash flesh into a bowl with all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Put the mixture back in the shell and put under the broiler until the top slightly browns then eat up!

**Quark is a light cheese with a yogurt consistency. You could use light sour cream, marscopone, or greek yogurt if you can’t find quark.

Arielle is a proponent of happy and fullfilled living through great and healthy food.  Get more recipes or become a client and make a change in your life with easy, health focused cooking classes and wellness coaching at www.relishlifela.com.