Squash It

Time to make the Spaghetti Squash...

This was a small to medium sized squash, no soft spots...a few blemishes, but nothing structural. The squash should feel very solid and heavy for it's size, not squishy or light weight.

First: Preheat your oven to 375. Then, slice off the vine end, then cut in half, end to end. The squash is hard to cut. Use a very heavy duty knife and becareful! I inserted the tip of the knife in the middle of the squash and rocked the knife until it was most of the way through the fruit.

Once you've split the squash in two, scoop out the seeds using a heavy duty spoon or ice cream scoop. Discard the filling.

Clean!

This is optional, but encouraged; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the fruit, cut side down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Toss in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. Let rest of a few minutes before the next step. If you don't want to tackle slicing the squash in half, you can just prick it several times and bake it whole; extend the time in the oven to an hour.

Using a clean kitchen towel to protect your hands from the heat, nestle the squash in your hand and rake a fork over the inside, separating the spaghetti strands.

Clean out both halves. Toss lightly to ensure separation.

Plate up. I made some little chicken scallopini and a pan sauce of shallots, sage and butter. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and "spaghetti."

Delish! The squash has a little bit of an strong al dente texture, a crispy, julienned vegetable. But sweet. The baking of the squash draws out the natural sweetness, later enhanced by the butter and sage. Sweet!