Exploring Spaghetti Squash For Vegan MoFo

November 4th, 2010 - filed under: The Food » Food and Health



That’s right, I’ve never cooked a spaghetti squash! But I bravely brought one home from the Farmer’s Market last weekend, and this afternoon, Waits and I cracked that sucka!


Waits had fun playing gourd guardian, but I was eager to get in there.


Can you spot the baby in this photo? Aww, I took his toy away!


Saved the seeds for roasty toasty!


Baked that beast (face down) at 375º for ~45 minutes.


Scraped out the flesh and used a fork to tease out the ‘noodles’.


Smothered with marinara!


And served with a simple frisée salad, dressed up in hemp oil and aged balsamic.


YUM! This was a win – will make again. And that’s what I had for dinner tonight!

Happy MoFo!


  • Tenise Rae

    Well played, my friend.

  • http://www.seitanismymotor.com Mihl

    Happy MoFo! Your spaghetti squash looks like Moby Dick!

  • http://www.windycityvegan.wordpress.com windycityvegan

    @Mihl: Ha!

    @Sayward: I haven’t had spaghetti squash yet this season, thanks for the reminder! We’ve slowly been working our way through all of the pumpkins and acorn squash piled up on our table. Oh, and I really need to get off my duff and buy some hemp oil! That salad looks amazing. Yum.

  • Meghan

    I had some spaghetti squash at a church vegetarian dinner a few weeks ago. Aaron and I aren’t very in to winter squashes (I think it is the starch + sweet that we don’t like) but it was really good! And super easy.

    This isn’t relevant to this squash recipe, but do you have any special tricks for peeling squashes (especially acorn, oh gosh) when you might boil them or something? I have such a hard time handling squash, which makes me even moooooore disinclined to use it.

  • saundra

    oh i love spaghetti squash and it’s soo good… my hubby says i make it the least gross he’s ever had it lol

  • Rawnie

    Pierce it several times with a fork and pop it in the microwave for like, 10 minutes. Comes out very spaghetti like.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Tenise Rae – I think Waits stole the show. ;-)

    @ Mihl – HA! That’s awesome. =)

    @ windycityvegan – Every time you talk about your garden and its bounty, I go green with envy (in the best way possible!)

    @ Meghan & Saundra – I actually have a pretty fun and funny technique for getting into winter squash. I’ve thought about making a video . . . maybe I’ll do that for MoFo! We’ll see. =)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Rawnie – I don’t have a microwave in my kitchen, but I have heard that they work well for spaghetti squash!

  • http://flightsofthevalkyrie.blogspot.com/ Valerie

    This is so funny! we are finishing up our spaghetti squash for dinner tonight! I use the microwave too, comes out perfect & looks just like spaghetti every time. It was a great summer meal when we lived in AZ and I didn’t have to turn on the oven!

  • Rawnie

    Living in CA, I can only turn my oven on 3 months out of the year. C’est dommage. Love your website by the way.

  • Tenise Rae

    So I’m curious (and I could probably google this)…why cook the squash cut side down? I’ve only cooked acorn squash and usually put them cut side up. Any particular reason?

  • http://www.creativeanomalie.com sarah

    I freaking LOVE spaghetti squash (or any winter squash – ha!) Although baking the seeds are my favorite (just a little Celtic sea salt… mmmmm).

    @Tenise… I think to keep the top from browning. I usually cook mine face-up and it kinda browns a little around the edges. It’s never bothered me and I’ve just never thought about cooking it face down until now.

    I actually throw the seeds in the bottom of the pan with the squash and cook/roast everything at the same time. I’ve never tried the squash with marinara though – I love the flavor just by itself with a little, um, butter.

  • http://www.creativeanomalie.com sarah

    OR… maybe so instead of just cooking it you’re also steaming it? Dang, I’m going to have to google this now too…

  • http://mentalworldofsgcorrie.blogspot.com/ Stephanie

    I’m surprised you haven’t tried it! My mom used to make it for us when we were kids and I’ve loved it since.

  • Meghan

    Hey! I don’t have a microwave either! Aaron and I are finally buying a house in TWO WEEKS though, and it comes with one. I’m not sure that it is worth the effort to remove it, it is attached to the cabinets above the stove.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Tenise Rae (and others!) – I cook it cut side down so that it 1) keeps the moisture in, and 2) keeps the flesh from charring. But honestly, I don’t think it matters too much! =D

    @ Meghan – CONGRATULATIONS SO EXCITING!!!11

    You should take the door off the microwave and plant herbs in it. =)

  • MathTutor

    um…what is frisee?

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ MathTutor – It’s a fancy-pants salad green! All wispy and tickle-y =)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endive

  • Amanda G

    That looks awesome! Do you have any tips on making marinara? I don’t think I want to use canned anymore.

  • Amanda G

    And by canned I meant jar. haha

  • http://mobettavegan.blogspot.com Mo

    There is so much cuteness here that I can barely stand it!!!!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Amanda G – Oh man, I still use jarred myself! It’s one of the few things I still buy pre-made, probably because I eat it so infrequently. But the Trader Joe’s basil marinara is vegan, organic, cheap, and soooo delicious. Sorry I couldn’t be more help!

  • Meghan

    @Amanda G. and Sayward- I don’t make my marinara starting from fresh tomatoes, but I make it with canned crushed tomatoes with the recipe from Veganomicon. It is simple, easy, and generally cheaper than buying it in a jar. I *think* (I make it like… once a week, so I SHOULD know…) it involves sauteeing 4 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil, adding a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, with 1/4 tsp each of salt, oregano and thyme (I think the recipe calls for more salt but my canned tomatoes seem to have enough salt in ‘em), then simmer for some amount of time. 15 or 10 minutes. If I have any I add a splash of red wine or balsamic, and sometimes fun stuff like olives or sauteed veggies.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Meghan – That sounds so good, I really need to start doing this!

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