Spaghetti squash is a winter squash known for the spaghetti-shaped strands its interior produces when cooked. These strands, along with its mild taste, makes it a healthy alternative to traditional pasta. There are many different ways to serve the squash once it has been cooked and removed from the skin. This includes serving it with shrimp, meatballs, meat sauce, or in a meatless dish with or without sauce. It can even be sweetened and served as a dessert.
Before preparing or serving the squash it must be cooked in an oven, stove top or microwave. When baking in an oven it can be cooked either whole or cut in half. Once the squash is cooked the interior, or flesh, can be removed using the tines of a fork. Scraping the fork against the flesh causes it to release in strands. It will be necessary to remove the seeds from the center of the squash before scraping out the strands.
Meatballs are commonly associated with pasta spaghetti, and make an obvious addition when serving spaghetti squash as a meal. The meatballs can be mixed into the squash, served separately, or added on top. A meat sauce made of ground meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic, can be mixed with spaghetti squash and topped with Italian cheeses when served.
Adding shellfish to spaghetti squash is a way to serve the vegetable to people who enjoy seafood dishes. Top the squash with large sauteed or roasted shrimp. Both shrimp scampi and shrimp Alfredo may also be served over spaghetti squash.
There are several simple ways of serving spaghetti squash without the addition of meat or shellfish. Mixing the cooked strands with pepper and melted butter or olive oil is a basic and quick method. Another method is to mix the squash with a red, meatless pasta sauce and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Mixing it with an Alfredo sauce is another meat-free option. Using the chilled strands of squash to make a pasta salad is another alternative when catering to people who do not eat meat.
Creating a dessert is an often unexpected way of serving spaghetti squash. This can be done by mixing hot squash with a combination of cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and even nuts. With a little more effort, spaghetti squash may also be made into a pie filling. One way to do that is to use it in place of coconut and to serve it like a coconut pie.
