Sunday, March 28, 2010

Spaghetti Squash

If you are looking for a low-carb alternative to pasta, give spaghetti squash a try. It's a large, yellow, oval, winter squash that falls apart like thin spaghetti when you bake it. Per cup, it has only 75 calories and 10 grams of carbs, compared to 220 calories and 43 grams of carbs in regular cooked spaghetti. It has a mild flavor, perfect for topping with your favorite sauce. Baking it is very easy - the hardest part is cutting it in half. I included my favorite marinara sauce recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa), which goes great with spaghetti squash, as well as with regular spaghetti, and pizza. I double or triple the recipe and freeze the extras.

Spaghetti Squash
serves 2-4, depending on the size of the squash

1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven at 400. Cut the squash in a half lengthwise (use a large, sharp knife) and scrape out the seeds and pulp in the center. Coat the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet with raised edges or in a large baking dish and put in the center rack of the oven. Baking time will depend on the size of your squash, anywhere from 30 minutes for the small guys to an hour or more for the big guys. It's done when it easily comes apart from the skin when you pull it with a fork. Let cool for a few minutes, then scrape out the squash with a fork. Season to taste with more salt and pepper and top with your favorite sauce.

Marinara Sauce
recipe courtesy Ina Garten

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup Chianti red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I like to splurge on the San Marzano brand - it's the best!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

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