Italian-Style Spaghetti Squash

Read Reviews (73)

"A great dish when you're missing your pasta dinners." — The South Beach Diet Online

Directions

Place the squash halves, cut sides down, in a glass baking dish. Add 1/8 cup water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until tender; cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes until the zucchini begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Using a fork, scrape the squash strands into a bowl. Toss with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Mound the squash in the center of 4 pasta bowls and spoon the vegetable mixture around the squash. Drizzle with more oil, if desired, and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if using. Add the lemon slices.

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Footnotes

This recipe is optimal for Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet.
Copyright© 2003 Waterfront Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
See more from The South Beach Diet Online.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 09, 2006

This was almost verging on excellent. I had never cooked a squah of any kind before and I found this to be very easy. Neither of us had ever eaten spaghetti squash before tonite and it is now on my grocery list to buy again. My husband absolutely loved this dish and has requested me to make it again as well as asking me to substitute spaghetti squash for pasta as he is trying to watch his waistline. We both agreed as did other reviewers of this recipe that there is something missing. I had added a little bit of garlic powder but next time I am going to add a minced fresh clove or two of garlic and a little extra pepper. Maybe a sprinkle of chili peppers would be good too. Thanks for a great recipe and a new food in our repertoire. *** NOTE *** I made this dish again and this time I used fresh Italian Roma tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic put through a press, I squeezed in some fresh lemon juice while the tomatoes and onions were simmering and I added a good sized spoon of dried oregano. This dish became superb with these changes.

—VALLIHOUND

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 23, 2005

Instead of the microwave, i baked the squash in the oven at 350 for about 35 min. Don't skip the cheese!

—ANITA92677

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86 Ratings

Jul 20, 2004

This was terrific! Such a wonderful, summery flavor. I added a couple of cloves of chopped garlic in with the onions as well as some Italian seasoning. I also used a can of drained diced tomatoes instead of chopping fresh. So simple & yummy.

—DUBLIN

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Aug 26, 2005

First off, the hardest thing about this dish is cutting the squash in half. Since I was having trouble, I just microwaved the whole squash in the water. After 5 minutes, it was easy to cut, then I did as the recipe said. The only difference I did was add 2 cloves of garlic with the onions. I've never made S.Squash, but I enjoyed this recipe soooooo much!!!! I'll definately make this again !!!!

—TILLIEMAC

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Nov 08, 2005

I used 1/2 of a 3.5 pound spaghetti squash (the smallest I could find), and this recipe was perfect for 2 servings, but it wouldn't have fed four as a main dish. It was delicious, I just added a bit of Italian seasoning and garlic powder, pureed half the tomatoes, and used shredded mozzerella instead of parmesan.

—L.F.

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Feb 23, 2007

I was so excited to find a recipe, replacing the pasta in some of my Italian dishes. However, the squash was a bit crunchy. Next time I will make sure to cook it longer.(I should've looked at the reviews before cooking :) I added sweet basil, oregano and garlic powder to the dish, and omitted the lemon. I will definitely give this recipe another shot!

—love2cook

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Aug 27, 2006

This recipe was really good. We've never had or made spaghetti squash before and my husband was really leary (due to a traumatic squash incident when he was young). I combined this recipe with the Spicy Spaghetti Squash recipe from this site. I cooked the squash in the microwave for about 16 minutes and halfway thru flipped over the halves and put a tbsp of butter into each half with some garlic power and some salt and pepper. I ommitted the capers and made the sauce using 2 cans of diced tomatoes, red wine, onions, green peppers and zuchinni. Next time I will drain one can of tomatoes before I add it-- the sauce was slightly watery. The squash itself doesn't have much flavor-- it is slightly sweet so adding some red pepper to the sauce and salt and pepper was definitely a hit with my husband. He really liked it and said I should make it when his parents come to visit!

—BKcook

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Sep 08, 2004

This dish really hits the spot and is filling. I added 1/2 teap. minced garlic when I sauteed the tomatoes..sooo goood!

—DENVERMED

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Nutrition

Calories
99 kcal
5%

Carbohydrates
13.3 g
4%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
3.9 g
6%

Fiber
3.5 g
14%

Protein
3.5 g
7%

Sodium
200 mg
8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Italian-Style Spaghetti Squash

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 99
Calories from Fat: 35

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3.9g 6 %
Saturated Fat 0.6g 3 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 200mg 8 %
** Potassium 383mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrates 13.3g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 3.5g 14 %
Protein 3.5g 7 %
** Sugars 5.5g
Vitamin A 14 %
Vitamin C 46 %
Calcium 13 %
Iron 8 %
** Thiamin 10 %
** Niacin 13 %
** Vitamin B6 15 %
** Magnesium 9 %
** Folate 16 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.