Valley Bounty: Spaghetti Squash

I did not really know anything about spaghetti squash for most of my life, other than that it had a funny name. Then, somehow, seemingly half the people I knew were eating some version of a gluten-free diet, and they were all talking about spaghetti squash. Determined to leave no gourd unturned, I sought out some guidance and brought home a squash to experiment with. No matter which side of the Great Gluten Divide you find yourself on, I can safely say that spaghetti squash deserves at least to make an appearance in your kitchen this fall.

If, like me, you’ve never actually done this before, cooking spaghetti squash is fairly similar to cooking any other winter squash. Slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, place the two halves face down in a roasting pan with a bit of water, and bake for somewhere around half an hour or until tender. Scrape the flesh out with a fork, and it should naturally come out in the noodle shape we’re expecting. The flavor is fairly mild (not as sweet as pumpkin or as nutty as acorn squash), so try it with strong flavors — curry, ragù, ratatouille, and spetsofai are all good options.

Valley Bounty is written by Brian Snell of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture)