When Carey's mother was here, I prepared spaghetti squash. She had never had it before, and she really liked it, but she couldn't quite get a handle on what it was. Even though she had seen it on the counter, and after I explained the process a few times, I think she still thought it was either pasta that had been made from a dough that included squash, or pasta that I had added a squash sauce to.
I really love it, and they keep very well at room temperature for quite a long time.
To prepare, I start by cutting the stem end off...just enough to get rid of the stem AND give you a flat surface to turn it onto.
Once it sits flat securely, use a large chef's knife to cut it as nearly into halves as you can.
This is what it looks like inside.
I just use a soup spoon to scrape out the seeds and inedible center fibers. As you scrape, you will feel the firmer flesh underneath...try not to scrape into the flesh, but right down to it.
It should look like this.
Cover a baking sheet (one with raised edges) with foil for easy clean up. Set the squash on the foil and drizzle one or two teaspoons of olive oil into each half. Use your hand and rub the oil to cover all surfaces of the inside flesh.
Sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper, and then turn each half flat-side down on the baking sheet.
Place in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour, or until it is tender when pierced by a fork.
Remove it from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes. I then hold it with a hot pad in one hand, and with a fork in the other hand I scrape the flesh away from the tough skin. The flesh shreds into spaghetti-like strands.
Empty the squash into a bowl, and continue with remaining squash halves.
To the bowl I usually add about two tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Tonight I also added about 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and stirred well till evenly mixed in.
I served it with Chicken Piccata...with a little of the sauce spooned over the squash...and broccoli. Yum.
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