Spaghetti squash was first recorded in Manchuria, China in 1850, where farmers developed it as a fodder crop, but no one knows for sure how it arrived in China. In 1934, the Sakata Seed Company in Japan was the first to market the squash. In 1936, the Burpee seed company introduced it to the United States and sold seeds in their catalog, calling it vegetable spaghetti. To identify it, it is oval-shaped and golden yellow.

Its name was developed because its flesh turned yellow gold when cooked and can be combed in strands like spaghetti. Many cooks use it as a low-calorie alternative to pasta. The yellow flesh of the spaghetti squash contains many nutrients. It is low in calories and a good source of fiber, vitamin C, niacin and other vitamins and minerals.

One full cup of cooked spaghetti squash has only about 40 calories, while the same amount of spaghetti has five times that amount.

How to Prepare

This came from a distributor of the squash.

Oven: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the squash lengthwise. Remove the seeds; pierce the skin with a fork. Place the squash in a baking pan, cut side down. Bake for 45 minutes, turn and

bake until the skin is tender.

Microwave: Place cut side down in ¼ cup water in a microwave baking pan. Cover with clear wrap. Cook for 7-10 minutes.

Pot: Place in 2-inches of water, cover and boil for 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash With Meat Sauce

6 servings

This came from an old food magazine with my changes.

• 3 ¾ pounds spaghetti squash, cooked
• 1 ½ pounds hamburger
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium diced onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 6 cups diced tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons sugar

1. Heat oil in a large pot or frying pan. Cook hamburger, onion and garlic until meat is brown, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and sugar, and heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Lift the pulp of squash with two forks to form spaghetti-like strands. Spoon meat sauce over spaghetti.

Dairy Spaghetti Squash

4 servings

This recipe had no source.

• 1 tablespoon pareve or dairy margarine or butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• ¼ teaspoon basil
• Parmesan cheese

1. Follow directions for cooking spaghetti squash above.

2. In a saucepan, dissolve margarine or butter. Stir in flour to make a paste. Add milk, parsley, garlic and basil. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken as you like.

3. Serve with cooked, hot spaghetti squash and Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti Squash With Pepper Sauce

6 servings

This recipe came from a very old newspaper.

• 1 baked spaghetti squash (3-3 ½-pounds)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 slivered onion
• 2 red peppers and 2 yellow peppers cut into ½-inch lengthwise strips
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place pierced squash in a baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn over and bake for 15-30 minutes until tender. Turn off the oven and let squash remain.

2. Heat olive oil in a pot. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes. Add peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar and basil. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.

3. Halve squash and discard the seeds. Pull apart strands with a fork. Place in a bowl. Add pepper sauce.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist, author and compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks. She is a food writer for North American Jewish publications, and she leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.