spaghetti squash

I love spaghetti squash- but I was incredibly afraid of cooking it when I first attempted it. Honestly, the hardest thing about spaghetti squash is cutting it in half!

This is the squash. Don't be afraid of the squash.

When you have wrangled the squash and have cut it in half, this is what you'll find inside. That scraggly stuff in the center is NOT what later becomes the spaghetti. You'll want to scrape all that stuff out. Smells just like pumpkin.

This is what you are looking for. A spoon should so the trick to get all that stuff out.

Season the outside. Liberally. Olive oil, salt and pepper, and a little touch of brown sugar.

375 degrees for 45 minutes, and this is what comes out. Let it sit for just a minute or two so that it's cool enough to handle.

Scrape out the guts. This is the spaghetti part. It'll come out pretty easily, so don't worry about having to wrangle the hot squash. Mix the guts in a bowl with a tiny pat of butter, and taste it to see if it needs more salt, pepper or brown sugar.

Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice squash down the middle using a very sharp knife. Scoop out insides with a spoon. Season flesh with olive oil, brown sugar and salt and pepper. Cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a fort can easily pierce the flesh and pull it apart. Allow squash to sit for 2-3 minutes to cool. Scoop out flesh with a fork or spoon and mix in butter. Re-season accordingly. Serve hot and enjoy!