Entrees Recipes

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Microwave

My small raised garden is full of lovely leaves of zuchinni and squash, hopefully ready to share some hint of bounty soon. I’ve been watching it like a (hungry) hawk!

Much more than a trend, zuchinni and spaghetti squash have now become a part of my recipes at home – a super easy way to reduce calories (and carbs, if you’re watching them) while still giving you volume on your plate. I love spaghetti squash with meat sauce when we’re having a pasta night, but was annoyed at having to heat up the oven to steam the squash first. Now, using the microwave, I don’t have to – which is a huge help in the hot summer months especially.

If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s how:

First, poke some holes in the squash all over like you do with a potato before baking. You need to ensure steam can escape. Pop the whole squash in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes (depending on the size, a small one like this 3 minutes will do) to soften enough to cut in half.

Now, use a knife to score it all the way around, and then cut in half. It will be hot already, so use care!

Once in half, gently scoop out the seeds.

Place both halves face down in a casserole dish with just enough water to cover the bottom. Since you’ve already given it a head start in steaming, you’ll only need another 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your squash. I did 3 minutes to start on this one and 4 at the end – you’ll need to play with times a bit to figure out what works based on the size of your squash.

Now the fun part! Use a fork to scrape all the lovely spaghetti squash stands from the sides of the vegetable.

Transport to a bowl and then decide how you’re going to devour it today! Spaghetti sauce on top is my favorite, but you could also sprinkle it with some salt and pepper and eat it ‘au naturel’ as well.

 

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