Do you know the number one reason why I love the blog world so much? Sense of community and support are close runner ups, but the number one reason is because blogging and reading other blogs has really helped me step outside my comfort zone in so many ways, especially with regards to cooking and trying new foods.
Spaghetti squash may be a regular in your household, but in my neck of the woods, it’s a true newbie. I decided to pick up my first one at the grocery store yesterday. And truthfully, I had no idea how to cook it and what to eat it with. This my friends is called being adventurous. 
So, I came home from work today and decided to take the plunge and create my own spaghetti squash masterpiece. Even though you could totally eat this stuff plain with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper, I decided to go ahead make a basil ricotta sauce (adventure x 2)!
[Side note: I LOVE ricotta. I think it’s one of my top five favorite cheeses. You can’t beat that rich creamy taste. Yum!]
For my fellow spaghetti squash newbies out there, here’s my simple guide on how to prepare and cook the squash (one of my coworkers patiently explained the process to me…thanks!):
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the squash with cool water to remove any dirt.
3. Cut the squash lengthwise. Be super careful though. My squash was very tough to cut, and it took a bit of effort on my part to open it up.
4. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Don’t worry about removing some of the stringy part too. There’s plenty where that came from…trust me.
5. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil onto the open facing squash pieces and rub in with your hands.
6. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper.
7. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking pan and place in the oven.
8. Cook for 45 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool for about 5-10 minutes before handling.
10. Scrape out the “spaghetti” with a fork and enjoy!
And here’s the recipe for my basil ricotta sauce, a great topping for this nutty, light “spaghetti.”
Basil Ricotta Sauce
1/3 cup part skim ricotta
1 tablespoon basil in a tube or chopped fresh basil
3-4 tablespoons canned diced tomatoes with juice
red pepper flakes to taste
salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients together…and that’s it! Simple!
I am now a spaghetti squash lover! What an awesome alternative to regular spaghetti. It’s tasty, healthy, and super easy to prepare.
Yay for trying new things and being adventurous…go me!
Have a great night y’all!
What’s a new to you food that you can’t stop raving about?
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Totally going to try this! We don’t eat meat two days out of the week and I’m always looking for yummy veggie recipes!
yum! your sauce looks great!!
I tried it for the first time last fall. It’s fun because I enjoy playing with my food… 🙂
I LOVE spaghetti squash! Funny enough, I prepare my squash differently – I bake it in a shallow dish of water.
I actually had it for dinner tonight with pesto. Great minds… 🙂
A reaallllly easy way to make spaghetti squash:
Stab several times with sharp knife (like you would a potato)
Place in microwave
Heat on high for 3-4 min
Rotate on itself
Heat on high for 3-4 min
Repeat until your thumb can gently indent the skin
Total time is about 12-14 min for a medium/large squash. Then slice in half (like buttah), dig out seeds, and shred
This looks so yum! I’ve actually never tried spaghetti squash because I had no idea how exactly to cook it so thanks for this :)! I can’t stop raving about truffle oil- even a couple of drops adds SO much flavor to the meal!
That does look really good. I’ve never cooked spaghetti squash before.
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I can eat a whole half-spaghetti squash plain! That’s how much I like it!
I also like it with spaghetti sauce and cheese too – just like real spaghetti – but I think it is super delicious!
Loooooooooooove spaghetti squash!! So versatile.
lately I’m loving the almond cheese I found! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it! I tried it for the first time last year and was amazed at how great it was! Made me wish that I had tried it long ago, haha!
I love love love the recipes ideas I get from all the amazing blogs out there! If I see something new I want to try I’ll buy it, come home and search my fav blogs, which inevitably leads to some killer creation that I never would’ve thought to try! I will def have to give your spaghetti squash a whirl! Looks delish!