I didn’t grow up eating squash, and I’m not sure I knew a lot of people who did. We certainly had turnip on the table for almost every holiday meal, but I can’t recall a single time someone cooked squash. Is that strange? Was it an 80s thing? A regional thing? A family thing?
Today, I cook far more squash than turnip simply because I’m convinced I don’t like it, but that’s probably because it wasn’t peppered with much flavour when we consumed it as kids (side note: if you have a great turnip recipe, can you send it to me?). Squash is a different story though, and in my home, I add it to frittatas and salads, serve it as soup, puree it into mac and cheese and even use it in quesadillas.
My go-to for years was butternut squash, but I started branching out and admit I’ve really grown to love spaghetti squash for its pasta-like consistency and versatility.
Do you know to how to cook spaghetti squash?
I totally thought I did, until I came across a new method that was completely game changing. I can’t remember where I first heard or read about it, but just to be clear, this mind-blowing method is not my own discovery but I’m very happy to tell you about it.
Traditionally, to cook spaghetti squash, halve the vegetable lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 45 to 50 minutes. You can still cook your squash this way, and it will turn out, but there really is a better way. Here’s how I currently cook my spaghetti squash:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Trim the ends from the squash and cut widthwise into 1-inch thick rings. Remove the seeds.
- Place the squash pieces on a cooling rack set over a rimmed sheet pan and sprinkle both sides generously with salt (don’t worry, it will be wiped off before cooking).
- Let the squash sit for 15 minutes. Wipe off the salt and any water that has accumulated on the sheet pan. Return the squash pieces to the cooling rack and roast for 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Peel or cut the skin away, and use a fork to separate the strands into long “noodles.”
So, why the change in cooking method? Halving the squash lenthiwise yields short strands, but cutting it widthwise into rings creates spaghetti length strands instead. In addition, the salting draws out the moisture and leaves the squash crisp instead of mushy. I really dig it, and so do my teenagers.
Here are a few more cooking tips:
- Spaghetti squash can be difficult to cut into. If you have a microwave, you can cook it for 2 minutes before slicing into it to make it easier to cut.
- Look for squash that’s short and plump instead of long and thin.
- The 30-minute cooking time is just a starting point, depending on the size of your squash. Feel free to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes, if you don’t think it’s cooked completely.
- To remove the seeds, run a sharp knife around them and they’ll just fall off.
This is brilliant! I have a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter waiting for something to happen. As for turnip, rutabaga is similar, but so much better. Mashed with potato, carrot, onion and celery. Called hutspot. Makes me hungry thinking about it....
Posted by: Joanne | 10/16/2017 at 10:33 PM
Thanks, Joanne! Im going to go in search of hutspot recipes now. :)
Posted by: Jan Scott | 10/17/2017 at 09:17 AM
Oh, I have to try this! Funny how as small a thing as changing how you slice a vegetable can make such a big difference to the outcome. A principle I know, but don't always think to apply to different vegetables!
Posted by: Marlene | 10/17/2017 at 01:05 PM
Thanks, Marlene! Youre so right. Its so fun to come across a new cooking technique!
Posted by: Jan Scott | 10/18/2017 at 03:02 PM
I also grew up with a strong dislike for turnip- my mom made mashed turnip every year at Thanksgiving and I think my dad was the only one who put it on his plate! I have to admit though, it's not actually that bad. We've been living in Ireland for the past year (we're Canadian) and I noticed that people eat loads of turnip here! I cut the turnip into large pieces, sliced those pieces thinly, then roasted it with a little olive oil, salt & pepper (similar to the way I would with a sweet potato- about the same temperature and time). I hope those vague instructions make sense. It was delicious (and my kids aged 3 and 7 ate without bribery)! I actually bought a second turnip so that I could make it again!
Posted by: Jen L | 10/19/2017 at 10:52 AM
Hi Jen! Thanks so much for the idea... Im going to give it a try this week!
Posted by: Jan Scott | 10/23/2017 at 05:09 AM