Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter

Nothing says fall to me quite like squash, except for maybe cool air and crunchy, colorful leaves. Spaghetti squash has a sort of sweet, rich, almost nutty flavor and the texture of, you guessed it, spaghetti! I have heard lot of people say they actually use this squash as a spaghetti substitute even though the flavor is quite different. This recipe is a simple and delicious way to prepare spaghetti squash.

To make this dish you will need:

• 1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH (3-4 pounds)
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/4 cup FRESH PARSLEY or about 1 & 1/2 Tbs DRIED PARSLEY
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, shredded

First off you need to cook the squash. To do this you can bake it or microwave it. Either way you need to pierce the skin of the squash several times with a sharp knife in order to allow the steam to escape (Basically stab it a few times, but be careful! The skin is very tough!). If you choose to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and then bake it on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. Or you could take the quicker route and put it on a plate and microwave it for 10-12 minutes making sure to rotate the squash half-way through. Your choice! The squash is done cooking when you can pierce the squash with your knife fairly easily.

After cooking your squash, cut it open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 

Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and then add the garlic. Once the garlic is tender, add the squash, parsley, and salt. 

Toss all of the ingredients together and then add the shredded cheese. Cook for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Ideally the squash should still have a little bit of a crunch when you take it off of the heat. 

Transfer the squash to a bowl and garnish it with a little bit of fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Then sit back and enjoy the flavors of fall!

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Spaghetti Squash with Garlic & Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1/4 cup FRESH PARSLEY or about 1.5 Tbs DRIED PARSLEY
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, shredded

Directions:

1. Pierce the skin of the squash several times with a sharp knife in order to allow the steam to escape while cooking (Basically stab it a few times, but be careful! The skin is very tough!). The squash is done cooking when you can pierce the squash with your knife fairly easily.
• If you choose to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and then bake it on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. 
• If you choose to microwave it, put it on a plate and heat it for 10-12 minutes making sure to rotate the squash half-way through.
2. After cooking your squash, cut it open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 
3. Then take a fork and scrape the stringy, spaghetti-like squash out.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and then add the garlic. 
5. Once the garlic is tender, add the squash, parsley, and salt. 
6. Toss all of the ingredients together and then add the shredded cheese. Cook for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Ideally the squash should still have a little bit of a crunch when you take it off of the heat. 
7. Transfer the squash to a bowl and garnish it with a little bit of fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Then sit back and enjoy the flavors of fall!

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I found this delicious fall side dish on this website: http://www.steamykitchen.com/11285-baked-spaghetti-squash-with-garlic-and-butter.html