Thursday, October 06, 2011

Spaghetti Squash

From time to time I have seen spaghetti squash in the blogosphere (to be honest I have known of this squash for a long time even before blogging became fashionable), however, I never could get my hands on one. This week my health food market offered spaghetti sqash for the very first time. Of course I couldn't resist. So I bought a nice specimen:


I consulted the internet about how to prepare the squash and decided to use the oven version; I don't use a microwave anyway, so this was not an option. The first problems presented themselves.  The squash was incredibly tough, so I was glad when I heard M's car coming around the corner. I definitely needed some muscles to help me cut the squash in halves.


The rest was quite easy I scraped the seeds and the gooey stuff out with a spoon, oiled it and placed it, cut side down, on a tray.



So far so good. I already knew it would take about an hour for the sqash to soften up, so I pushed some potatoes in the oven and waited. After 75 minutes the squash was still so firm you couldn't push a fork into it :( I waited 15 more minutes but finally got it out. By then  at least the flesh was soft and it was possible to scrape it out. Now the real tragedy started. On all the photos on other blogs you could see wonderful fluffy spaghetti like scrapes. But not with mine :(



I have to admit it resembled short threads, but in no way like spaghettis but rather like exceedingly super extra short vermicelli :(

I used Lori Lange's spaghetti sqash recipe from recipe girl as a kind of template. Of course I didn't use meat but a tofu mince and added some bell pepper to the sauce, but this was roughly how I served it. I especially liked the way she used the toppings to not only make it an eye-candy but also very very yummie. However, I missed the starchy texture other squash has (butternut or hokkaido), so it was no replacement for spaghettis at all. I was only satisfied when I got out the baked potatoes and added them steaming hot to the plate.


The dish was actually vegan, but M and C sprinkled some Montello cheese on it.

But my big question is: has any of my readers used spaghetti squash before? What have I done wrong with mine? What are your experiences with this sort of squash? I would really like to give it a second chance, so I rely on your help :)







4 comments:

  1. Oh that is a shame.

    I have had spaghetti squash a very, very long time ago - when I was a student and i have to tell you I did not like it at all. I can't remember how it was prepared, so I have to say I am sorry that I cannot help you and advise where you may have gone wrong.

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  2. Yes, I agree, I didn't like it too much either; I actually enjoyed the baked potatoes so much more *laugh*

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  3. Ich hatte mal welchen im Garten - und ähnliche Erfahrungen wie Du, es schmeckt halt nach Kürbis, ohne Kohlehydratkomponente, also nichts nach Nudel. Die Spaghettis kriegst Du, wenn Du ihn andersrum halbierst. Dafür brauchte ich auch 2 Versuche. :-)

    Überbackener Spaghettikürbis mit Hirse-Füllung
    Spaghettikürbis mit Gemüsesauce und Feta

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  4. Ah danke Barbara, das werd ich probieren. Das Rezept mit Hirsefüllung klingt sehr lecker und vor allem die fehlenden Kohlenhydrate wären durch die Hirse abgedeckt. Also morgen noch mal los und einen kaufen solang es sie noch gibt :)

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