Pasta can be a major pitfall for many dieters. It is one of the penultimate comfort foods; the culinary equivalent of a hug from mom. Unfortunately, it can also be the caloric equivalent of a double-cheeseburger with fries.
For example, according to The Old Spaghetti Factory's Website, a single serving of Spaghetti and Meatballs contains almost 1000 Calories!
No doubt that your home-made version can do better, but no matter how good your fat-reducing and portion controlling capabilities may be, you still have to contend with the fact that the noodles alone will bump you up 200 big-c's per cup (157 calories/100 grams cooked), mostly from starch.
Enter noodle option #2: the Spaghetti Squash.
By replacing your starchy wheat or rice noodles with these all-natural vine-grown ones, you can enjoy a serving twice the size and still halve your calories! What a deal!
According to Nutritiondata.com, the saintly squash is also a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C. Oh, and it also contains a mere 42 calories per cup (27 calories/100 grams). Low carb, low calorie, very filling.
In short, Spaghetti Squash is your friend, or will be after you try using it in this recipe!
Ready to get started?
OK. First, when choosing your squash, look for a fruit (yes, squashes are considered fruits) that feels heavy for its size and has a rich yellow skin. From here it can be baked whole or cut in half in either direction and baked face down on a tray. Dividing the squash lengthwise will yield shorter noodles, but will make removing the seeds a bit easier and reduce cooking time. Using the cut-lengthwise method, the squash should be cooked at 350º C for approximately 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your squash, cooking time may vary). It may take you a few tries to get that perfect, al-dente noodle texture, so don't feel bad if your first one comes out a bit mushy. If you reeeally want to get it right the first time, don't be afraid to take it out of the oven a few times and flip it over for a taste-test. You can always put it back in again if it's not done.
To check if your spaghetti squash is cooked:
Ideally, when you take a fork to the sides of the squash (tines running crosswise, as the noodle-strands form rings around the outside of the squash, not from end to end) you should be amazed to discover the thing is actually made of noodles. The will fall away from the skin like ridiculously well-organized spaghetti. If you are having to dig at it, some more time in the oven probably wouldn't hurt. If your fork sinks into some homogenous brown mush, I'm afraid you've over done it. Soup tonight, maybe?
At this point, you are probably best off topping it with your favorite mom's own recipe that you have known and loved forever. If, somehow, you managed to get to where you are today without ever having one of these, or are just feeling a tad more adventurous, I have provided a one of my own sauce recipes below.
For this recipe, you will need:
One Spaghetti Squash, cooked and de-noodled
2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
2 celery sticks, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 200g lean buffalo* or extra-lean ground beef
*lean buffalo has even less fat than the leanest beef, and also provides a higher percentage of healthy omega fatty acids rather than saturated fat, all for about the same price. If you can find it, use it!
Instructions:
Sauté all vegetables with garlic in a frying pan. If you have a non-stick pan, that would be recommended, as you will notice there is no oil or butter in this recipe.
But... sauté with no oil?! That's crazy-talk! I assure you, it can be done.
Once your veggies have browned, combine in a saucepan with the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Simmer for about an hour to allow the flavors to blend. Handily enough, that's about how long your squash will take, too (they were meant for each other).
Spoon sauce over pasta and voila! The Ultimate Healthy Spaghetti!
And get this: calories per serving (two cups squash with one cup sauce): a mere 200. Deal!
