Squash- Spaghetti vegetable

[Midnight Blue]

I bought some seeds to try this squash out. The little bit of info I have read made it appealing. Has anyone ever had these before? If so, and recipes for use, etc. would be appreciated.

[Belle]

I have grown it several times. It's one of those things that produces so much you get sick of it and don't grow it again for a year or two - kind of like zucchini.

I don't have a recipe for it. I just boil the whole thing till it's tender, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then rake the fibers out with a fork (the fibers are the 'spaghetti', so don't throw them away) I serve it with butter, garlic, and parmesan or with any sauce you'd use on noodles.

Sometimes, I poke a few holes in it, put it on a plate, and microwave it till it's tender, then proceed as above.

[Midnight Blue]

Ahhhhh, drooooool. Sounds soooo good, thank you. I grew zuchini last year and we ate and froze lots of it. I use it in enchiladas, spaghetti, eggs, zuchini bread, we love it here.

[Belle]

I love zucchini, too, but it produces so heavily, I always swear it off by the end of the season and refuse to grow it the next year. Problem is, I generally replace it with something else equally prolific, like scallops, okra, winter squash, or spaghetti squash. By the end of that year, I'm saying I'll never grow that again, then go back to zucchini or one of the others on my list. It's a vicious circle.

[Liberty]

Have some on the counter right now. Lots of uses. Our favs are to microwave it whole for several minutes to soften, cut it in half and continue cooking in microwave or oven. When soft, scrape out the seeds, and fix like sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon, or scrape the spaghetti out and use in place of spaghetti. Yum.

[firebird]

Spaghetti squash are great! Fun to cook too. We have done them for a couple of years, but this year I am growing butternut squash instead.

[Saul Mine]

The first time I planted squash I didn't know anything. Nobody told me one row is plenty for a family. I planted three. And no family. I was giving squash to neighbors or anybody who would take it. A guy at work said he liked squash so I took him ten pounds. I bought a freezer just so I wouldn't have to throw too much away. Then I threw the rest away.

I also planted cucumbers. Three rows of that, too. I was a bit distracted by the squash, but still I wondered occasionally why I wasn't seeing any cucumbers. Finally I went looking for them. There they were, under the leaves, big as footballs. Oy, did those taste terrible!

[firebird]

The first time I planted squash I didn't know anything. Nobody told me one row is plenty for a family. I planted three. And no family. I was giving squash to neighbors or anybody who would take it. A guy at work said he liked squash so I took him ten pounds. I bought a freezer just so I wouldn't have to throw too much away. Then I threw the rest away.

I also planted cucumbers. Three rows of that, too. I was a bit distracted by the squash, but still I wondered occasionally why I wasn't seeing any cucumbers. Finally I went looking for them. There they were, under the leaves, big as footballs. Oy, did those taste terrible!

That is funny :-). I have planted 6 yellow squash plants and that will be more than my family can eat.

[Belle]

Three years ago, I planted 3 pattypan plants. They gave us a lot of squash and we all liked it. So, the next year, I planted 3 rows - about 30 plants. What was I thinking??? I was overrun with squash. We ate it at every meal, I dehydrated it, I made relish out of it, I made it into sweet bread and pie, but I couldn't give it away. Nobody wanted it (they were already dealing with their own zucchini influx and didn't need more squash)

Last year, I didn't plant any and I still have a lot in storage, but I'm planning on planting it again this year. I think I'll stick with about 6 or 8 plants this time.

[Liberty]

Be very frugal in the number of butternut squash plants too. You'll get dozens from 3-4 plants. I still have 12 sitting in a box in the basement storeroom from last summer's garden, and they're still hard as rocks, just like the day they were harvested.

I'm going to try the spaghetti squash this year though, cause we really like it.

[wyldthang]

Just piping up to say that spaghetti squash has been easy to grow for me(western Oregon, cooler and damper), and can stand a bit of neglect. The squashes keep super well over the winter. I just put spag sauce on it(cooked as above). I've also heard of people frying some in butter and garllic after it was cooked, that sounds yummy, maybe kinda hash browny?

I'm not sure how much nutritional value it has though, compared to acorn squash(since acorn/butternut is bright orange). It probably has lots of good fiber.

I also threw a leftover spongy one from storage out into the garden bed and a few new plants sprouted from that--how lazy is that???

[Freeholder]

I've had spaghetti squash, and liked it, but thought it was a little sweet to put under spaghetti squash (I wasn't use to store-bought spaghetti sauce, which has sugar added -- we make our own sauce that's not sweet).

It would be difficult to have too much winter squash, though -- we love that, and it's good winter feed for pretty much all livestock, as well (as a supplement, not their sole diet).

Kathleen

[angelwing]

Ooooooo, it's a south beach food and I love it! I roast it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes then fork out the strands and serve with olive oil & garlic...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Freeholder]

Ooops! I meant to say, under spaghetti sauce! It won't let me edit anymore.

Kathleen

[Midnight Blue]

I like that it stores awhile. What's the best way to store it.

[Walrus Whisperer]

I like sphaghetti squash after you dry the "fibers" some (they are usually very moist after cooking the squash) salted some with butter and parmeson cheese. its just wonderful like that. I dont like it with sphaghetti sauce.

[Serendipity]

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Spaghetti Squash I

http://images.allrecipes.com/site/allrecipes/area/community/userphoto/small/18967.jpgRated: http://images.allrecipes.com/global/print/color/FB6400/4.5.gifSubmitted By: James
Photo By: WANDA

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 6

"Such a perfect name for this squash. When it's baked, its meat looks like glistening strands of pasta. For this recipe, the squash is baked and then combined with feta cheese, sauteed vegetables, olives, and basil. Lovely."
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and
seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.2.Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.3.Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.4.Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.


This was added from a reviewer as to how they used the left overs.

I wanted to add a P.S. to my rating. The next day I added some beaten egg and bread crumbs to the leftovers to add substance. I formed the squash into round patties and breaded them with bread crumbs. I then browned them in Canola oil and they were sooooo delicious. My boyfriend loves this recipe and he loved what I did with the leftovers too.