Spaghetti Squash

What the heck is a spaghetti squash, anyway?  A spaghetti squash is a winter squash.  It becomes available in the fall and is hardy enough to store all winter.  At regular room temperature, spaghetti squash will last for a couple of weeks.  If stored at 50-60 degrees, it will last as long as 6 months.  The same can be said for other root crops and winter squashes.  Spaghetti squash is a yellow squash with yellow pulp.  The pulp is stringy, and looks a lot like spaghetti.  In fact, many folks use it as a substitute for pasta in many dishes and it makes a lovely main course or side dish.  It can be cooked whole or in pieces, and then the pulp removed with a fork.

To cook the squash whole, pierce the skin with a fork several times, and roast it in a 375 degree oven until tender.  This should take about an hour.  Then cut in half and remove the seeds.  YOu can also cook it in your crock pot for a whole day with a cup or two of water.

To cook it in pieces, cut it into halves or quarters, remove the seeds, and roast rind side up for about 35 minutes-until tender.

Once your squash is cooked and seeds removed, take out the pulp with a fork.  Run the fork from end to end and the pulp with come out in strands.  Separate the strands and serve.   It is simply that easy.