What does spaghetti squash taste like? Does it taste like pasta? For some reason, you might want spaghetti squash, especially those of us who want to cut down on starch. It is true; there are ways you can replace pasta and still get the same taste of pasta! In a nutshell, I am referring to spaghetti squash and the same taste for pasta! You aren’t losing anything in your favorite dish; you are just cutting down on starch, that’s all.
What does spaghetti squash taste like? Well, so good that you might not notice any difference with your regular pasta but with more health benefits. Spaghetti squash, alias vegetable spaghetti, the fruit belonging to the Cucurbita plant family. The fruit is similar to pumpkin and other varieties of squash. What is unique about spaghetti squash is its close taste to spaghetti pasta. That is why it is the ultimate substitute for spaghetti pasta.
What’s more, you are replacing carbs with fiber and vitamins. Spaghetti squash comes in either yellow or orange colors. An unripe spaghetti squash is green and not suitable for cooking yet. You may serve spaghetti squash in a variety of soups and sauces. If you would like to know the nature of spaghetti squash, it is solid and hard when uncooked but skin falls off with ease when cooked, forming strands similar to that of spaghetti.
How to cook spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash has a mild taste thus match up with flavorful sauces for a complete taste. Like many advocates for paleo and gluten-free dishes, spaghetti squash stands tall for a good reason; it’s delicious and stands in for your favorite wheat pasta. Spaghetti squash is a sensational fruit; when cooked, it softens and easily pulls apart in thin strands like spaghetti, and I think that is the genesis of the name. How to cook spaghetti squash for that tasty and toothy texture is so simple.
Here is how:
Cut spaghetti squash in half
Cutting the spaghetti squash into half is apparently the hardest part when cooking spaghetti squash. Hold on; cutting through the hard, dense uncooked squash is not easy. You might consider putting into the microwave for a few minutes or roasting it. I know what you are feeling about microwaving your squash; it sounds like a ticking time bomb, but easy! Make a few stabs with a fork to let the steam out, and you are good to go. After a few minutes, your squash will be softer to cut through.
Spaghetti squash has several ways to cook; you can roast it in the oven, you can have it zapped in the microwave, use a slow cooker, or even boil on the stovetop.
Roast in the oven
When it comes to cooking spaghetti squash, there is an easy way and fastest way to roast squash spaghetti, and they are different. The easy way involves popping the whole squash into the oven, while the fastest way is to bisect the squash into half and scoop the seeds and bake the squash halves ups in the oven. Cutting squash into halves is not easy, as mentioned earlier.
Do keep your squash moist while in the oven, add little water to the dish and wrap using aluminum foil. The steam build-up shall assist in the cooking process. How long should spaghetti squash cook in the oven? At 400 degrees F, your squash is ready in 40 minutes. If you prefer the microwave, it is even faster! About 15 minutes and your spaghetti squash is ready. But it would be best if you cut it into halves before tossing it into the microwave. Attempting to put it whole is like tossing a yellow bomb inside your microwave, and I am pretty sure you don’t want to hear the results later.
If you prefer to use a slow cooker, it’s okay; it is still the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash. Simply set it up and keep yourself randy in other chores for an hour. Poke holes in your squash like you would do for microwaving slow cook it whole. Slow cooking your spaghetti squash does not build up extreme pressure, so you are safe, unlike when microwaving.
Finally, if you want to boil, it’s fine, in a large pot of water and slow boil with the whole squash immersed into water. Ensure slow and steady boil; after 30 minutes, you can test your squash with a fork, if tender, slice into half lengthwise and scoop the seeds. Separate the flesh into noodles with a fork, and your dish is ready to serve with a sauce.
Does spaghetti taste good?
One thing you should note about spaghetti taste is that it generally tastes like squash. Sometimes it tastes crunchy and slightly sweet. So, does spaghetti taste good? Yes, crunchy and sweet if that defines a good taste for you; I know it is the case for most of our pasta enthusiasts. Squash has a neutral taste or faintly sweet. We cannot confidently say spaghetti squash has a strong taste like butternuts or acorn. Sometimes noodles coming out of spaghetti squash tastes watery or crunch but vary from squash to squash.
What to serve with spaghetti squash
If you are wondering what to serve with spaghetti squash, it is quite versatile, and you have a range of other foods to serve with. For meat lovers, I am here to announce that you can serve spaghetti squash with meat. Other veggies can do just right for you to have a substantial vegetable diet. Spaghetti squash is versatile, and you can prepare it with cheese. If it is legumes you want to serve your spaghetti squash, it pairs well with smooth legumes.
Conclusion
What does spaghetti squash taste like? Don’t be surprised if the taste is different from that of pasta. All you need is a sauce, and you enjoy your spaghetti squash like pasta!
I hope you now know what spaghetti squash taste like. You can try it and let us hear what spaghetti squash taste like from the horse’s mouth.