This is agreat dish! Too inprove the spaghetti squash's tenderness, just put it in a baking dish close to it's size and add 1 1/2 cups of water for the same baking time and it will be wonderfully soft and perfect.
My boyfriend and I had never had spaghetti squash, but as he said, I would give it a 10 star if I could. I am not a fan of squash at all.... but this was so good... All the right blends of veggies. I didnt have fresh basil, used less of the dry basil, also sauted veggies in olive oil , and depending on the size of squash might take longer then 30 mins, i just did the knife test, and knew it needed more time, so added 15 more minutes on.Had a medium size one and well there wasnt any left overs. I had a bowl and bf had the rest, he loved it.. So hats off to the chef who made this a keeper in our house. I also added grated parmesan cheese on top after it was served, yummy we love cheese :) and a loaf of fresh bread to go with it is a meal in it self. This would go great as a side dish for the parmesan tilapia fish , that I also found on here. That too was good. I love to cook and have found so many good recipes on here, this is at the top.... go figure and I thought I hated squash.
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.
We love this in our house. But I've modified it a little to better suit our tastes. Firstly I just put some puncture holes in the squash and throw it in the oven whole to bake -- it's much easier to cut when it's cooked and it's just as delicious. I also skip the olives and onion to give it a fresher less complicated taste. Lastly I use grape or cherry tomatoes they're just nice and managable.
We really liked this new way to enjoy spaghetti squash. I did do some things differently. I microwaved the squash, both halves on a paper plate, skin side for 5 min. and open side covered with paper towel for 6 min. and it was done perfectly. Using suggestions from others, I sauted red pepper and onion together, added one can of Italian style tomatoes, undrained, and ripe olives. Tossed it all together and tried to save enough leftovers for next day lunch :o). It was really super, thanks James.
I enjoyed this dish but was surprised by the taste/texture of the squash. I read the reviews but for some reason was shocked that the squash 'noodles' were actually crunchy. The taste is pretty neutral so not offensive. I gave it four stars because I feel that I just need a few more tries to get mentally adjusted to using these instead of real noodles but once I get adjusted they are just so much better for you than all those heavy blood sugar spiking real noodles and makes the homemade garlic bread easy to justify! You don't feel as heavy and bogged down and your meal is 500% healthier.
I had a half of spaghetti squash left over from last night and i can only do the spaghetti squash once in awhile for my DH as he is not a real lover of it. SO to allrecipes I went to look for something to do with the rest. I took all the ideas on the reviews and recreated a cold salad with using similar ingredients. Scraped out the SS and added EVOO, just a couple of dashes, and then diced half a red pepper and 1 tomato and a half cucumber (seeded) Tossed in some scallions cut on the bias and 2 cloves of garlic and about a small can of black olives, salt and pepper, Then about 1/2 cup of feta and some snips of fresh basil from my garden along with some fresh tarragon. Cant wait for dinner! Samples were divine! ps I always punch holes in my spagetti squash and then do in the microwave. Let cool, slice and seed. Will try the cooked version in a cooler season. Thanks James!
DELICIOUS!!!!! Love spaghetti squash but needed new receipe. Easy to make. Used kalamata olives and sauteed the garlic and onion in butter with the olive oil. Tried it also with chopped fresh spinach. Will definitely make again. EXCELLENT!
I have to give this as low rating even though the recipe is sound. The reason is how to cook the squash. Temperature is wrong and so is the time. First, do NOT cut the squash. Instead, use a long bladed serrated knife to poke holes all over the squash (be careful!). Put the squash in shallow pan (no need to butter or add any liquid) and bake at 375 degrees for ONE HOUR. Remove from the oven and use oven mitts to hold steady with one hand while cutting with the serrated knife. Cut in half then scoop the center seeds/fibrous strands out of each half. Then use a fork to scrape the flesh which yields the spaghetti like noodles. You will be able to see the "spaghetti-ness" before starting. The squash is AWESOME. It is very mild in flavor and can be used with any and every sauce/vegetable/meat/etc. It does NOT taste like squash so feel free to go crazy. It is also low calorie, low carb, NO fat (5.5 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber and 30 calories). Perfect for diets or if you just want something delicious and filling. Might even be a great Thanksgiving treat (dinner, dessert or ??)
