No Nonsense Spaghetti Squash Toss

I am not going to lie to you. Spaghetti squash does not replace real spaghetti. I grew up eating it that way because I was gluten free for most of my childhood. I’m talking about before it was fashionable and there weren’t a lot of alternatives at the market. So, although I eat wheat these days, I do usually try to boost my ratio of vegetables to pasta whenever possible. Here’s one way to learn how to eat more vegetables when you don’t like them. Once this squash has been cooked, all you have to do is scrape out the flesh using the tines of a fork. The squash naturally comes out in thin strips like spaghetti. Thus its cute name…

I had some fresh basil, so I decided to make pesto with:

• garlic
• salt
• basil
• walnuts
• olive oil
• parmesan cheese

No food processor? No problem. Please read Nuts About Pesto for advice. Are you vegan? Leave out the cheese. I have made lots of pesto without it.

Looking for a little color to add to this dish, I found part of a red bell pepper to chop up and add to the pesto.

Cooking Squash

I baked a whole spaghetti squash for about an hour and a half until it was tender when pierced with a fork. Whole? Yes, why not? You can cut it in half and roast it cut side down in a baking dish with a little water. It cooks faster that way. But I just wanted it to be ready once I was finished with a video conference. So putting it into the oven whole worked just fine.

I had just a little bit of linguine left in a package. Not enough for a whole serving, so it made sense to mix it with the spaghetti squash after boiling. Slowly incorporating more vegetables in your diet is so easy.

I had some cooked chicken in the freezer, so after defrosting that, I tossed it into the boiling water with the pasta during the last couple minutes of cooking. Once they were done, I pulled them out with tongs and mixed with the pesto and red pepper in a bowl. Adding a little of the pasta water helps to complete the sauce.

Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple meals are the best.

What else can you do with left over squash? You can find all kinds of ways to use it, so don’t be afraid to buy a big one. I like to bulk up soup with it. It’s an easy way to eat more vegetables even if you don’t like them.

Want to know more about making miso soup? Read Miso Adaptable next.