Chef YvesPaul's Installment - Discovering Spaghetti Squash

I was on a low carb diet for a while the last few week, I don't think I am anymore since I've been having chocolate, cookies and a large amount of ice cream. But during the diet, I've experimented a few things and I was most impressed by Spaghetti Squash.

Spaghetti squash is an oblong winter squash, that's yellow or ivory in color. After it's cooked, the flesh falls out in ribbons that resembles spaghetti. Then it can be used as regular pasta for baking or eaten with pasta sauce. It contains valuable nutrients like folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene and it's completely low carb!

Calories in Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti Squash
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti Squash
Servings: 1 cup
Calories 42 Sodium 28 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 181 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 10 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 2 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 4 g
Trans 0 g Protein 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Just cut them in half, seed them and rub them with oil sprinkle salt and pepper and baked skin side up for 20~25 minutes in 400 F and then let them cool down before handling them and use a fork to scoop the flesh out.

Here's my simple lemon pasta recipe:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, cut into thin ribbons
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 lb of pasta/spaghetti squash meat
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped (optional)

1. Heat up the oil and butter in medium heat
2. Put in the garlic and onion, stir-fry until onion gets translucent (5 minutes)
3. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken broth, heat until simmer.
4. Put in pasta or spaghetti squash and heat up for 4 minutes until liquid is slightly absorbed.
5. Sprinkle in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, served warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

*If using spaghetti squash, reduce the amount of chicken broth to half and prolong heating time at the end to about 8 minutes. Spaghetti squash will release its own liquid.