I love spaghetti squash. Its available year around and it’s a yummy vegetable. I prefer to cook it in the microwave. It is infinitely faster, and the strands stay a nice even colour, with no browned bits. They are low in calories and just as the name says it, they can substitute spaghetti or mixed in with a small amount of pasta, they give the pasta experience, but with far less calories. They are best when crunchy; if too soft they become mushy. After you bake a few you learn to estimate the time just from the size. They can take anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes to cook. Large ones are harder to cut in half and of course can take up to 8 minutes in the microwave.
To avoid the perils of chopping them in half, some people poke them all over with a sharp knife [which I think is perilous enough] and then bake them or microwave them whole. This takes longer to cook, and you need to watch not to get burned when removing the pulp and the seeds. My biggest complaint of course is that the whole squash will collapse and there is a greater chance of overcooking.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• Cut the squash open with a sharp chef’s knife lengthwise; not across.
• Remove the seeds and the pulp with a spoon.
• Microwave each half for 4 to 8 minutes.
• Let it rest in the microwave for 5 minutes before serving.
• Or bake at 375 F rind side up for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Just before serving separate the strands by running a fork through lengthwise.
• Sprinkle with salt, dot with butter and top with freshly chopped herbs.
