The Perfect Low-Carb Side Dish

Cool, fall weather brings with it one of my favorite foods: spaghetti squash. When baked and scraped from its shell, the flesh of this yellow winter squash forms thin strands similar to spaghetti, capellini and angel hair.

But it’s a carb-o-phobe’s dream-come-true (cup for cup, you save roughly 175 calories and a whopping 33 grams of carbs), not to mention a welcome respite from starches and sweets that run rampant at parties and celebrations from Halloween through the New Year. I like it topped with basic marinara (either homemade or store-bought) or with vegetables sauteed with garlic in olive oil and sprinkled with a little pecorino Romano. For the Thanksgiving table, I recommend lightly spraying with a low-cal butter spray and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

To prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil or spray with cooking spray. Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place both halves, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until flesh gives easily when scraped with a serving fork. Be careful when handling the baked squash, as it will be hot! Serve immediately, topped with your favorite pasta sauce, or keep warm until ready to serve.