It’s time to give spaghetti squash the attention it deserves.  Healthy eaters walk right past squash bins in search of more colorful, and more common vegetables.  A second look at the winter gourd- more aptly named spaghetti squash, can make your life better, really better.  Spaghetti squash is sturdy, and easy to store, just tuck them into a cool, dry place until you’re ready to give them your attention.  You can pop the squash in the microwave for about 15 minutes, which helps cut down on preparation time.  No oven time, or steaming kettles because the microwave does all the heavy lifting here.  Dani Spies does a quick demonstration on how spaghetti squash is easy to cook and is a great alternative to pastas.

Why Spaghetti Squash Rocks

Spaghetti squash brings its Vitamin A game, and is rich in potassium, beta carotene and folic acid.  Whole 30 dieters love this squash and commonly regard the spaghetti imitating texture a perfect substitute for carb heavy pastas.  Spaghetti squash works brilliantly as a bed to top with proteins or other veggie medleys.

Kitchen Utensils

• 1 1/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish
• large knife
• fork
• cutting board
• oven mitts

Spaghetti Squash Quick Time Preparation

Dani lays out the keys to the quick preparation and you will appreciate her no nonsense approach to the versatility of spaghetti squash.  Here are the preparation steps Dani covers in the short video:

1. Place squash on cutting board and pierce the squash 8-10 times with fairly deep cuts to allow steam to escape
2. Place squash in microwave safe dish and set  timer 4-5 minutes per pound. Rotate squash at half-way point
3. Remove from microwave when squash is soft. Add cook time if not soft
4. Remove from dish and place on cooking board and let stand a few minutes to handle safely
5. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds and use fork to scrape squash onto serving dish
6. Season to taste, optionally sprinkle parmesan cheese onto squash

Spaghetti squash is versatile, easy to store, and simple to prepare.  Give the gourd its due- and make your kitchen time a lot less hectic with the healthy choice of squash.

Featured photo credit: Brent Hofacker via shutterstock.com