This weekend I didn’t cook a single thing.
Nope, not one! This weekend we were in Dallas shooting a wedding (which was FANTASTIC by the way! So organized…love it!) and the only time I entered a kitchen was to eat a couple of Skittles and refill my water. It was nice to take a break, but then I got home and found these pictures from last week and I immediately started thinking about what to make starting tonight.
Have you ever roasted a spaghetti squash? Have you ever roasted one whole before? This is the kind of thing that makes me feel like I’ve developed some sort of magical powers once I cross the threshold of dining area to kitchen. I may not care to ever be president, I may not want to be a lawyer, and I may want to pretend that I was a doctor in another life but not actually go through with the medical school part. But goshdarnit, give me a whole spaghetti squash, and I will magically transform it from raw and inedible to perfectly cooked in no time.
Well, my oven will…but you get the idea. I know how to make the oven do that, and that’s the magical part!
There are a number of ways that I love my spaghetti squash – have you ever tried it in shrimp scampi form? Because I’d wager that you haven’t really lived if you haven’t. Go make it tonight and report back with your findings!
The easiest way bar none is to make the squash, mix in a bit of ricotta cheese, and top with your favorite marinara. Creamy, tangy, delicious and healthful has never tasted so good!
HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE SPAGHETTI SQUASH
- 1 whole spaghetti squash
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat your oven to 350. Wash the skin of the squash (when you cut into it you don’t want to transfer dirt or anything to the inside of the squash. Plus it’s good to always be in the habit of washing fruits and veggies!) with warm water and dry with a towel. Rub the skin with olive oil and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 for 60-90 minutes until you can pierce the skin and flesh underneath easily with a paring knife. Let cool for a few minutes before you cut into it though…burned fingers make it hard to perform magic in the kitchen! Once it has cooled for a bit cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds in the middle with a big spoon and discard. Then, using a fork, fluff up and scrape out the flesh…it will look like spaghetti! Serve however you see fit, but just make sure you serve it and then give yourself a big pat on the back…you just magically made spaghetti squash without really lifting a finger!
Speaking of which, you can definitely find me in the kitchen tonight up to my elbows in squash and roasting things. Heaven!
P.S. I’d LOVE it if you clicked over to the Shape Magazine Best Blogger Awards and voted for Faces of Beauty! I’m so excited to be nominated and would love the chance to share the message of Faces of Beauty with even more of the world!
Just got through trying this technique since I have always cut the squash in half and roasted it cut side down in a baking dish with about an inch of water. I will definitely go back to my technique. The “spaghetti “ strands using this technique are not as moist nor as “stringy.’” Was worth a try, though!
I always bake mine whole. Easier to cut afterwards.
I baked it whole for the first time about 10 days ago, I always struggled with trying to cut it in half, now that I have found an easy way to do it, I will fix it again in a few days. I made an alfredo sauce and some meatballs and when the squash was all in the casserole dish, I covered it with meatballs and poured the sauce on top, my hubby and I just loved it, ate it again the next evening, so yummy!
I’m so glad you like it Deborah! It really does make it so much easier to do it whole! 🙂
I followed your directions and my almost 5 lb spaghetti squash cooked just right at 90 minutes in the oven! This is my first time cooking spaghetti squash, so I was nervous. Thank you for your instructions – they were easy and I was glad I didn’t have to cut squash raw. After I let the squash cool, cutting it was a breeze!
Yay! I love hearing success stories 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Shut up!This is ingenious. My first time trying to cut it myhusband used a table saw. Today Iused a machete. Wished I’d looked this up first. Iwill be buying more now. Today we’re having spaghetti squash primavera…(or as its known here-using upthe vegies before they go bad)Thanks!
Oh gosh Cheryl! I’m dying over the table saw/machete stories – I’m so glad I could help make it a little easier!
Okay, I have tried to make this in the past and failed. 🙁 I didn’t like the consistency of the strands of squash. It was like it wasn’t done or something. When I made it in the past I would cut it in half first and place upside down in a shallow pan with a little water and baked that way.
Hmm, I will try baking it whole and see how it turns out.
I can cook, I promise you that. LOL Just this little bugger has me stumped.
you know, i don’t think you did anything wrong…spaghetti squash always has more of a crunch or a bite to it. it’s not the same as pasta (let’s face it, pasta is the best EVER) but it’s a great way to get some veggies in! i wonder if you tried it knowing that it was supposed to be kind of crunchy if that would make a difference? hope you like it!
Honestly, spaghetti squash could be my favorite food in fall. It’s so easy, healthy, and goes well with anything!
I love that about spaghetti squash, it’s so easy to make. I should make it more often than I do.
Love spaghetti squash! When I’m feeling lazy and pressed for time, I like to microwave mine. It only takes about 15 minutes.
I made spaghetti squash for the week!!! 🙂 Great minds think alike!
I am so glad you posted this, I always wondered how to cook a spaghetti squash! Now I know!
oh and by the way I made your slowcooker chicken fajita’s last night! AH-MAZING! loved them!!!
thanks so much!!
Fave part: “burned fingers make it hard to perform magic in the kitchen”…so true! 😉
I actually have never had spaghetti squash… It does look delicious and I will try and get one soon!
Thanks for sharing this, Heather. I love spaghetti squash…it’s tastes like angel hair pasta without all of the carbs! 🙂
Oh my gosh I love you even more now. I have a spaghetti squash to make this week and always HATE trying to cut in half to roast first. Never knew you could roast it whole. You may have just saved one of my fingers from a knife. 😉
Ryan LOVES spaghetti squash– I should make this soon!