Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!

I am Italian and therefore I love me some pasta. However I have utilized spaghetti squash as a healthier and lower calorie alternative over the past two years and let me tell you it is like having your cake and eating it too!! Tastes amazing!!

Checkout my spaghetti squash recipes in the nutrition section.

For a simple way to increase the amount of veggies in your diet, skip the pasta and use spaghetti squash instead. A one-cup serving of this unique squash has only 42 calories and 10 grams of carbs. For comparison, whole-wheat spaghetti has 176 calories and 37.7 grams of carbs — that’s a huge difference! Not sure how to make this squash resemble pasta? It’s easy!

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and bake it, flesh side down, at 350°F for 30 minutes or until you can pierce it with a knife with little resistance. While it’s baking, sauté diced onions, tomatoes, one minced clove of garlic, and a handful of chopped fresh basil. Scoop out the flesh with a fork (it should be stringy), place it on a plate, and top with your favorite sauce or just oil and herbs. Instant low-carb spaghetti! Or opt for a casserole like this cheesy veggie “pasta” bake. Not into red sauce? For another light pasta alternative, toss cooked spaghetti squash with roasted shrimp.

Bake the same way as above, but this time scoop out the flesh, place it in a bowl, and allow it to cool in the fridge. After 20 minutes, pour the squash flesh onto a cutting board and chop it up a little. Place it in a bowl, and mix in diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, spices, feta, and olives to make a fun variation on Greek salad.
Bake, allow to cool, and then marinate spaghetti squash with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and rosemary. Put it on top of your garden salad for a little extra flavor and texture.

Chop up baked stringy flesh, and season it with cayenne pepper to be used in place of rice in tacos and burritos.