*According to Real Simple, spaghetti squash is loaded with vitamin C – an “antioxidant, which means it boosts your immune system and protects your memory as you age.”
*A spaghetti squash can vary in color from ivory to yellow to orange. Orange has the highest amount of beta-carotene.
*Cooking turns the solid inside flesh (when raw) into strands that can be easily removed with a fork.
*Spaghetti squash has many different names, including spaghetti di zucca (Italy), somen nankin (Japan), vegetable marrow, noodle squash, squaghetti, fish fin melon (China), vegetable spaghetti (India, UK).
*Spaghetti squash is relatively easy to grow.
*Some cooks maintain that it has a “neutral flavor” making it ideal for pairing with sauces from tomato, cheese, and cream to simple butter or olive-oil.
*It’s a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which includes pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. Science Direct reports that there are more than 800 different species in this group, used for centuries for both eating and medical needs.
*One cup of spaghetti squash is rich in Vitamins A, C, a good source of dietary fiber, beta-carotene, and pantothenic acid.
*Each plant produces up to six spaghetti squashes in the growing season.
*Chef Ina Garten adds ¼ cup of apple cider or juice when cooking to make it sweeter.
*Spaghetti squash is low-carb and low-calorie – a great addition to a healthy diet.
*It’s a great pasta substitute!
*Seeds of the spaghetti squash can be rinsed off, roasted like pumpkin seeds, and eaten.
*Technically, spaghetti squash is a fruit under the botanical definition of a plant that flowers and produces seeds. In the culinary world and your kitchen, it’s a vegetable.
*Because the flavor is so mild, it can be used in savory or sweet dishes. Check out the recipes!
*A spaghetti squash will keep for 2-3 months when stored in a cool, dry place.
*There are many different gourmet ways to prepare spaghetti squash from Moroccan and Southwestern to cakes and pies. You can even make a savory spaghetti squash Passover kugel.
*The Cleveland Clinic wrote, “When it comes to eating healthy, it may seem hard to find foods you can get year-round that have many benefits, few downsides and a lot of versatility. But the spaghetti squash is one such food.”
