Roasted Spaghetti Squash Two Ways

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Two Ways

I’m a pretty recent convert to spaghetti squash.  I’d been curious about it this nutritious, low carb, low calorie pasta substitute for many years but I hadn't gotten around to picking one up until recently.  I like zucchini, summer squash and other squash varieties but I never really thought of them as a pasta substitute.  How could this squash be any different.  

Well it is.  

When spaghetti squash is cooked, the flesh breaks apart into long strands that maintain a slight crispness or al dente texture and a mild flavor that makes them a perfect stand-in for all your usual pasta dishes.  They almost remind me of glass noodles.

In this post I show you how to roast the squash and prepare two different but equally delicious dishes.  I love this one because all the prep work is done in one day making tomorrow’s lunch is a carefree delight.   I only wish I had discovered the virtues of spaghetti squash while my husband was still alive.  He would have liked it.  Plus, selfishly speaking, he had the manly strength I lack that’s needed to slice the thing in half.  In the video tutorial I show you my best tip to accomplish the task.  If you've got some good tips be sure to leave me a comment.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash (Two Ways)

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 45 min – 1 hr 15min

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 ounces ricotta salata
• ½  cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup ricotta
• 1 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 oz grated mozzarella

Video Tutorial

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (or 190 °C).
2. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 
3. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil onto each half and use a basting brush to evenly coat the surface then sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.
4. Place them face-down into a large greased casserole dish or onto a baking sheet and roast the squash anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes depending on the size. (You should encounter no resistance when you try to pierce it with a knife.)
5. Remove from the pan and use a fork to scrape at the flesh until you’ve worked you way around the entire squash.
6. For the first half stir in 1 tablespoon of butter, ½ the ricotta salata, salt and pepper then top with fresh herbs, and the remaining ricotta salata.
7. For the other half stir the marinara sauce, fresh ricotta, and pecorino romano then top with the mozzarella.  
8. Cover and refrigerate until the next day then heat in a preheated oven for 15 minutes and serve.

Notes: 

• Save the squash seeds if you want to make the roasted seeds from my next post.