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Have you tried Spaghetti Squash?

Spaghetti squashes are finally becoming more easily available in Australia. They used to be something that American bloggers would write about all the time and I’d be all like; well, thats lovely, but where on earth should a humble Adelaidian locate one of these funky-sounding squashes?

Related to other varieties of squash or – as us Aussies like to call it -pumpkin, spaghetti squash is a mild, sweet tasting veggie, that when baked produces flesh that can peeled away from the skin with a fork in strands that resemble ‘angel-hair’ pasta.

This is great news for those of us wanting a grain-free pasta or noodle alternative (zoodles are amazing and all but it’s always nice to change things up) that is tasty, easy-to-prepare and nutrient-dense (the golden flesh is a source of carotenoids and dietary fibre).

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This is a great beginners recipe that tastes even better cold than it does warm (so is a great one to prepare ahead of time and have on hand in the fridge as part of a meal or as a tasty snack). Of course you can use the noodles plain and top them with a homemade Bolognese sauce or a tasty chicken stir-fry – really anywhere you’d use grain-based noodles (but beware – these babies are delicate so probably serve them as a bed of noodles with the main dish on top, rather than tossing them in the pan … you may end up with more of a squash puree and the whole purpose of SPAGHETTI squash kind of flies out the window).

Be sure to cook the squash until very tender. I made this once, and was in a bit of a rush and the noodles were slightly undercooked. I found it sickening because the texture was a bit off, not soft like noodles and there was more of a “raw” pumpkin flavour, which I personally don’t vibe with.  Also, season, season, season, the same batch that I undercooked I also under seasoned. This dish really needs the salt to balance out the sweetness of both the noodles and the coconut cream, so don’t skimp on the herbamare.

Simple Spaghetti Squash

Serves 3-5 depending on appetites and what you serve it with

  • 1 whole spaghetti squash (South Australians note that most Foodland stores now stock these – but get in quick because they don’t always have heaps!)
  • 420ml Ayam coconut cream
  • Herbamare to taste (or pure sea salt of your choosing plus favourite dried herbs), I find that as the squash is very mild it needs a generous amount of seasoning (which will also give you a good whack of iodine)

Method

First of all, cut the squash in halt long ways and scoop out seeds (you can discard or keep them and roast them with sea salt for a protein, zinc and magnesium-rich snack) and place each half side-by side (flesh side down) on a baking tray and add some filtered water to the base of the tray to prevent squash from drying out.

Bake for 50 minutes at 180 degrees C. Remove from oven and cool. Once cool enough to handle, run a fork lengthways through the flesh and you will notice it easily pulls away in noodle-like strands. Keep repeating this step until all the flesh is ‘noodled’ and the skins are empty shells.

Place the ‘noodles’ into a large mixing bowl and add the coconut cream and salt/herbs to taste.

Either serve as a yummy side dish or my personal favourite way, divide into several glass containers and refrigerate until chilled. This gives you a creamy, sweet – almost custard like, spaghetti squash casserole that can be eaten as is out of the container as a snack, or be reheated and served with greens and a piece of fish/mince patties/baked chicken thighs etc. for a quick mid-week meal.