YAY, okay, now that I've been given explicit permission to infodump —
One of the reasons my husband and I like spaghetti squash is that one squash is usually the perfect size for a 2-person meal. (And if you're eating solo, eat one half and save the rest for leftovers!)
Honestly, the hardest part of spaghetti squash is cutting the damn thing open. Like most big squashes, the rind is really tough. You need a very big knife and a lot of care and patience. (I have done it successfully myself, but usually my husband does it because he has more upper arm strength — and way more anxiety — than I do.) Maybe your grocery store sells them pre-cut? Or you can ask them to do it for you?
Softening the squash in the microwave for 4 minutes helps, but then you have to wait for the squash to be cool enough to cut, and honestly that takes longer.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut the damn thing in half (longways/hot dog-style).
3. Scoop out the seeds with a big spoon. Don't be afraid to really scrape at it; there will be plenty of squash left.
4. Set the spaghetti squash halves on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Coat the inside of each half with about 1 tbsp of olive oil & a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
5. Bake the squash cut-side down for about 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. I would say it's better to err on the side of baking for longer, because that will make it easier to get the strands out later!
6. While the squash is baking, prepare whatever you are going to put on top of it. My favorite combo: sauté a can of chickpeas and some broccoli in a skillet, then add marinara sauce and let it simmer until the squash is done. I usually do this in the latter 20 minutes of the 40-min cook time.
6. The fun part! After taking out the squash and letting it cool for a few minutes, take a fork and start pulling! The squash will turn into spaghetti-like strands. Pro tip: start in the middle and work your way toward the rind. Again, don't be afraid to dig in and show it you mean business. (Huh, this might be a good recipe if you need to take out your anger on something. It's like axe-throwing, but you get to eat the target afterwards...)
Anyway, you may also need to have some kind of oven glove or mitt in order to grip the side of the squash hard enough to make the fork-pulling work AND not burn your hand in the process. I use a silicone grippy-thing. Whatever works, works.
7. Transfer the 'spaghetti' into a bowl (one half = one serving), top with your sauce/veggies/whatever. I also crumble some feta on top as well, but again, just put on whatever you would use with any other pasta.
On that note: It's not exactly like spaghetti, so don't expect it to fool anyone. The texture is more like zucchini noodles (zoodles), but thinner. Still surprisingly filling! Seriously, often I don't even finish my whole portion and I save the leftovers for later. It keeps well for a couple days.
And that's my recipe! I welcome follow-up questions and other recipes suggestions, too. I've made spaghetti squash like at least a dozen times now, but I certainly don't know everything!
