I was talking to a friend of mine about spaghetti squash because I recently cooked it again, after I Finally Cooked Spaghetti Squash . I had to cook it for 15 minutes before I could cut it. I had started to cut it. I got one end off, but, it is just easier for me to cook it then cut it. She is superwoman because she says she muscles through and cuts it. When my friend and I were talking about it we were definitely agreeing that the squash has more nutrients than pasta, but we didn’t know what. So I thought I would look up the nutrients and make note.
When my hubby and I enjoyed it again I served it once with red sauce and meat. It was ground turkey meat and jarred sauce. It was good. I hadn’t really thought that it would hold up to red sauce, but it was fine. That was only one way. The other times . . . for the left overs, I had it once with mushrooms and once with just butter and cheese. My hubby had it with the persimmon chicken juice. He loves to put the juice from the cooked meat on his pasta or rice. Obviously the nutritional value of the meal is affected by what you put on the squash.
But the squash itself seems pretty low in everything according to the National Agricultural Library.
In a cup of cubed squash . . . . which I don’t know that anyone would eat spaghetti squash cubed.
Calories —- 31
Protein —- .64 gram
Fat —- .57 gram
Carbohydrates —- 6.91 grams
Dietary fiber —- 1.5 grams
Calcium —- 23 mg
Iron —- .31 mg
Magnesium —- 12 mg
Potassium —- 108 mg
Sodium —- 17 mg
Vitamin C —- 2.1 mg
Versus the a cup of the average spaghetti
Calories —- 221
Protein —- 8 grams
Fat —- 1.3 grams
Carbohydrates —- 43 grams
Dietary fiber —- 2.5 grams
Calcium —- 1% of the DV
Iron —- 9% of the DV
Magnesium —- 6% of the DV
Sodium —- 1 mg
Vitamin C —- 0% of the DV
So there are quite a bit more calories and carbohydrates in the pasta and there is also a lot more protein. With a meat sauce on spaghetti squash the protein could be supplied from that. Even though it is a vegetable, it doesn’t really seem all that nutrient dense. It is more on the empty side which makes it perfect to add sauces and toppings to because it is not as if there are calories being added onto calories. And I really like the taste of it.
This last time I made it I roasted it. I cooked it in the oven at 450° F for 15 minutes, then I took it out and sliced it in half lengthwise. I rubbed olive oil on it (inside and out) and salted it. I cooked it for 10 minutes at 450° F for 15 minutes. Then I cooked it for another 35 minutes at 400° F. I roasted it cut side up. The last 35 minutes it was cooking while I was not home so I had it at 400° F. I might cook it a bit longer the next time I do it. I make these notes so I will remember. I hope to be cooking it a lot. My husband and I like it.
Do you? Do you like spaghetti squash?
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