Spaghetti squash-making more stringy

[shootingstar]

I carted home a 6-lb. spaghetti squash for $2.00 by bike. Man, biking with that thing wobbling inside my pannier over speed bumps, made me wonder briefly if the monster would warp my pannier frame.

Made dish which the spaghetti squash strands are supposed to look like spaghetti..tossed with tomato, onion, garlic, feta cheese, a couple of capers and over 1 c. of fresh basil. We bought a huge bundle of aromatic basil.

But my dish turned abit mushy..even though I cooled down the forked squash from baked half in oven. And cooling down tomato portion before tossing together. Tricky part is not over-cooling dish so the taste of dish is still lukewarm and tasty.

Any suggestions how to make a spaghetti squash dish to preserve the spaghetti-like strands? We like the dish alot..and I'm full just on this dish for supper --and honeyed rhubarb-nectarine-plum compote that he made up on the fly just now with abit of whipping cream.

[snapdragen]

Bake the squash for a little bit shorter time. When spaghetti squash is over cooked it gets creamy, and won't make strands.

eta: I love spaghetti squash, your recipe looks amazing!

[crazycanuck]

I never knew there was something called Spaghetti Squash...Never heard of it before..

Looks yummmmmmy!

[bmccasland]

ShootingStar - did you oven roast it or microwave it? I've tried both and have had better luck with the oven. Of course my biggest problem was cutting the dang thing in half. I've been tempted to take my ax to it!

[katluvr]

I agree, cutting it is VERY dangerous. I have had the knife stuck in it and I kinda pound the squash!

I also think over cooking it is what makes it less "stringy". I never micowave...I have found oven roasted the yummiest and almost perfect very time!

Good luck!

K

[maryellen]

Nuke it for one minute. That will soften it up just enough to make cutting it easier and less dangerous.

[redrhodie]

I asked bf how to make the strings longer, and he said to cut it widthwise instead of lengthwise. His always comes out really long. He cuts it before roasting, and cooks it cut-side down.

[katluvr]

Mary Ellen,
Thanks for the trick regarding cutting. I'll have to try that!

I do roast it cut side down...but cut lenghtwise and I still seems stringy to me.

[Susan Otcenas]

SHootingstar - Looks delicious! Can you post the recipe?

I used to have a great spaghetti squash recipe from Cooking Light. I need to see if I can find is again...

[bikerHen]

I would love some hints on what to do with spaghetti squash. We somehow ended up with some volunteer plants in the garden. In typical squash fashion, we will be having lots of spaghetti squash. bikerHen

[shootingstar]

Recipe is here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghet...-I/Detail.aspx

except I had 1 c. of fresh chopped basil.
And make sure you cut the squash in half before and place cut side face down on oiled baking sheet. Then put into heated oven for baking.
Plus use a fork, not a spoon to scrape out the spaghetti like pulp strands. Spoon doesn't mimic the same effect.

Appreciate all this advice so far. This is only my 2nd time using spaghetti squash. Certainly it's naturally blander hence this recipe bumps up the tastiness quotient a great deal. A great vegan, gluten-free recipe. (None of my dietary requirements, but might be for some others.)

We're more accustomed to cooking with butternut squash, which I do a stir-fry dish (I had as a child. My mother's invention.) , whereas he does multiple variations of squash soup. (with apple/pear/carrot or with curry). We don't just bake a butternut squash and just eat it. Too dull for such a wonderfully sweet veggie.

[Susan Otcenas]

Thanks Shootingstar! I'll be trying this one out soon. It uses many of my favorite ingredients! And I have two very large basil plants just begging to be used right now.

[GLC1968]

Thanks Shootingstar! I'll be trying this one out soon. It uses many of my favorite ingredients! And I have two very large basil plants just begging to be used right now.

One word: PESTO.

Oh, and I'm definitely going to try this recipe, too. Yum!

[Susan Otcenas]

Guess what I'm making for dinner at this very moment?!

I'll let ya know how it turns out.

[Susan Otcenas]

MMMMmmmm, yummy....