Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Ingredient Swap :: Pasta for Spaghetti Squash

I am a pasta fiend. It's truly amazing to me that I have no Italian in my blood, considering how much pasta I'm willing and able to consume when left to my own devices.

I realized long ago that regular ol' pasta wasn't doing anything for my health or my figure, and switched to a whole wheat alternative whenever possible.  This is obviously a great way to sneak whole grains into your favorite dishes, but I've recently dabbled in a nearly carb-free, all natural alternative to carbohydrate heavy pasta dishes: spaghetti squash. 


If you've never cooked spaghetti squash, I'll give you the rundown. You slice it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake it in the oven until tender. When you're ready to eat you just run a fork through the squash and it pulls apart to look like spaghetti or angel hair pasta. 

1 cup Spaghetti Squash "Pasta"
42 calories
10 grams of carbohydrates
2.2 grams of fiber
{bonus: gluten free}

1 cup Pasta
221 calories
42 grams of carbohydrates
2.5 grams of fiber

No, spaghetti squash doesn't actually taste like pasta, but the shape and texture it has beneath a scoop of bolognese sauce mimics that of your every day boxed angel hair.  We all have our favorite spaghetti recipes, so I'll withhold mine and urge you to swap your pasta for spaghetti squash. If you need a basic recipe to follow though, you know Martha Stewart has a recipe for everything.

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