A few weeks ago I was out grocery shopping with my dad when I decided that, finally, the time had come for me to buy my first spaghetti squash.  I saw them stacked on an endcap in the produce section, and just as I was about to walk over and put one in the cart, I pictured the conversation that would follow:

“What is that thing?  Have you ever had one before?  Do you know how to cook it?  What are you going to make?”

“Spaghetti squash.  No.  No.. I don’t know.”

To preserve my culinary pride, I decided to go home, do some research, and come back to buy my own spaghetti squash in private.  Then, I would cook the shit out of it and pretend I had been an expert all along.  Like you do.

Preparation:

• the exterior can be tough to cut through, so help yourself out by stabbing a dotted line along the equator (length-wise) where you’ll eventually cut.  then, throw that sucker in the microwave for about 3 minutes.
• now that it’s a bit softer, you can cut it in half.  don’t worry about the stem – just cut the rest, then break the stem when you crack it open.
• scoop out the seeds – I’ve found it’s easiest with a fork.
• brush the inside with olive oil thenplace cut-side down on foil covered cookie sheet.
• bake at 425° about 45 mins.  you’ll know it’s done when you can pierce the outer shell.
• fork it:  use a fork to pull the meat from the skin, working width-wise.  it’s ok to be a little aggressive to get all the squash out, you probably won’t break the skin.

I kept it simple by adding mixed veggies I had already roasted, a dab of store-bought vegan pesto (Sprouts, $2.99), and a shake of lemon pepper.  The leftovers got dressed up a bit more with all of the above plus veggie meatballs, avocado & nutritional yeast.

for the veggies:
pan 1  halved brussels sprouts, orange bell pepper, olive oil, herbes de provence
pan 2  broccoli, red bell pepper, olive oil, mrs. dash

bake at 425°

30 minutes for the broccoli, a bit longer for the brussels

I kept things pretty basic this time, but I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe with peanut sauce, and this one for spaghetti squash lasagna.  Do you have a favorite spaghetti squash recipe?  Let me know!

Another reason I kept it basic?  To share with the pup!  You could simplify things even more by omitting the oil; the squash has enough moisture to cook itself without drying out.  So, essentially I just gave you instructions on how to cut a vegetable in half and stick it in the oven.  You’re welcome.