-Rache’ll Brown

I love food. More importantly, I love carbs. However, my body doesn’t. When planning a meal, I try to find things that are good for me, but still taste like they aren’t. This is where spaghetti, made with spaghetti squash instead of noodles, comes into play – it’s a healthy substitute for a classic favorite.

Spaghetti squash is the perfect substitute for noodles because the stringy texture mimics the pasta just right. In the winter, like most, I enjoy comfort food – things that are filling and warm me up. Typically I eat a lot of squash (I’m obsessed with any type), and when I was younger my mom used to make spaghetti squash all the time. So I decided to give “healthy” spaghetti a try!

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash
Spaghetti sauce (I used Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce from Trader Joe’s)
Meatballs or some type of ground meat (I used Meatless Meatballs, also from Trader Joe’s)

First, you need to bake your squash. This website told me to pierce holes in it and microwave for ten to twelve minutes. I stabbed that squash nearly twenty times with a knife, then with a large fork (purely because I read that it can explode and the thought of that terrified me), then microwaved it for eleven minutes. It turned out perfect, although the sizzling noises made me a little paranoid while it was cooking.

Next, take your squash out of the microwave and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then take a fork and shred the soft flesh. This might sound hard, but it really isn’t. Just make sure to hold it with an oven mitt or kitchen towel because it’s really hot and you don’t want to burn yourself. Next, microwave your meatballs and sauce according to the directions, and pour them on top of your “noodles.” Voila! It’s ready to be devoured.

Overall, I thought this meal was delicious. The taste of the spaghetti squash is pretty neutral, so it paired great with the traditional spaghetti toppings (although I wouldn’t use the same marinara again – I like garlic, but it was a bit much). A medium-sized squash made about 3 cups of “noodles,” so it could serve multiple people, or offer leftovers. I am definitely going to make this again!