After the mac and cheesecake, I was looking for, at the very least, a veggie side dish to help me feel slightly less far from healthy. My friend Catie suggested this, and I must say I’m a fan! I had never cooked a spaghetti squash before, and I was prepared for the sort of time consuming event that shredding meat can be. If you haven’t cooked one before either: good news! The majority of each half can be shredded in under a minute, with just a bit more scraping needed to get the last little bits. So much faster than expected!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium/large spaghetti squash
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 to 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free half and half
• 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the spaghetti squash, first cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, like you would a pumpkin or a cantaloupe. Either bake, cut sides down, for 45 minutes at 350 degrees (too slooow), or microwave, cut side down, for 10-12 minutes. You can nuke one half, then while the second one microwaves, have time to deal with the first one and watch some youtube videos. Swell! Using a fork, shred the insides of the cooked squash. As I said, it comes apart into thin ‘noodles’ surprisingly easily. Transfer the shredded squash to a bowl and set aside.

Spray a large pan with cooking spray, then heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir together.

Stir in the chicken broth, then the half and half.

Add the cheese and parsley and stir.

I let mine continue to cook just until it had thickened enough that chicken-cream wouldn’t run all over the plate, which you may or may not need to do depending on how much half and half you add, then removed from the heat and served. I’m quite pleased with how my first foray into spaghetti squash cookery went!

Creamy Garlic Spaghetti Squash

From A Healthy Makeover.

• 1 medium/large spaghetti squash
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 to 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free half and half
• 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the spaghetti squash, first cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, like you would a pumpkin or a cantaloupe. Either bake, cut sides down, for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or microwave, cut side down, for 10-12 minutes. Using a fork, shred the insides of the cooked squash. Transfer the shredded squash to a bowl and set aside.

Spray a large pan with cooking spray, then heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir together. Stir in the chicken broth, then the half and half. Add the cheese and parsley and stir. Cook until slightly thickened, then serve.