So today I bought spaghetti squash for the first time, and I have to say...it is my new favorite vegetable! My first recipe that I wanted to use with the spaghetti squash is the make a clam sauce to have with it but I would like to open the forum for people to share any tasty/inventive recipes that they have come up with for spaghetti squash. I plan to use it a lot in the future!

I also LOVE spaghetti squash. I just use it in place of pasta in any recipe. I love homemade marinara or puttanesca sauce with it, I buy an amazing arabiatta sauce from my local grocery store, and add Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage, with some fresh parmigano-reggiano cheese for the fat.

Cranberrycat posted a recipe for Cincinatti Chili that was fantastic. I just tried it this week and husband liked it also. Check her recipe section if you like that type of spice combination. It is quick and easy. BTY, thanks, Cran for the recipe!

I also sometimes just saute some onion, peppers, in a little olive oil, toss in spaghetti squash, top with grated cheese and sea salt, as a side dish. You can also top with sauteed low fat smoked sausage instead of the cheese for a complete meal.

I am also going to try and grow some this summer.

Mari,
Thanks for the wonderful suggestions! I too, am a fan of Trader Joe's and have been thinking about trying their sausages...so now I have an idea of how to use them in a meal.
That's great that you are planning to grow your own squash. I know that spaghetti squash can get quite expensive and I like being able to know where your fruits/veggies were grown. I can't wait for winter to be over so we can start to have some fresh, seasonal produce!

Hi! I saw this thread and immediately thought of the recipe that Mari mentioned, and so I have copied it here:

Cincinnati Style Chili and Spaghetti (Squash)

One large onion, chopped finely
18 oz ground meat (should be equal to 12 protein blocks)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, or
1/2 oz grated unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups tomato puree (can sub tomato sauce)
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
4 cups cooked spaghetti squash
toppings (see below)

Saute onion and brown the ground meat. I usually figure in the fat based on what is in the meat, and then add more to the pan, if needed. Add all seasonings while meat is browning. Basically, I just add everything in order, and let it simmer. It should simmer for 1 1/2 hours, but I eat it sooner than that!

Place one cup of spaghetti squash onto plate or large bowl, and then ladle the chili over the top.

Two-way: chili and spaghetti
Three-way: add shredded cheddar cheese
Four-way: add chopped onions
Five-way: add beans (recipe calls for kidney beans, but I prefer black beans)

If you make it without the toppings, then it is 2C-3P-3F block meal. However, you can make it up by adding a block of beans, or you can have fruit on the side for dessert.

I was thinking of another idea earlier this week, but I couldn't find any sp. squash in the store...so I didn't actually make this yet. I will also add this to my reccipe thread!

SOUTHWESTERN SPAGHETT SQUASH

1 1/2 cups spaghetti squash (1.5 C)
1/8 cup black beans (0.5C)
1/4 cup salsa (0.5C)
1/2 cup onion (0.5C)
lean ground beef (also ground turkey or chicken)
1 tsp peanut oil (adjust this depending on the fat content of your meat)

Heat oil in saute pan. Saute onion and the ground meat, then add the spaghetti squash. Saute for about a minute, then add the beans and salsa, simmer until cooked through.

Optional, if you want to use the spaghetti squash as a "spaghetti base", then don't add to the saute pan... just add the rest of the ingredients to the saute pan and then top the spaghetti squash with the meat mixture.

I also like to season my spaghetti squash if I eat it like spaghetti, so sometimes I will use a southwest seasoning blend for a recipe like this.

In addition, if you want additional veggies, you could cut back on the squash to 1 cup (1 carb block) and then add some green/red peppers to the mixture.

Thanks Cran, this recipe sounds delicious! I have been making turkey chili very often this winter and now this will be a new twist on it. I love getting new recipes to experiment with!

Both of those recipes will work very well with ground turkey!

I usually just come up with all kinds of combinations for this, as it works very nicely as a "pasta" substitute, and all you have to do is top it with some protein, fat, and a few more carbs.

I will keep looking, I used to have a broccoli/chicken/pineapple recipe that I used on top of it, as well.

For lunch today I made a mixed seafood topping for the spaghetti squash that included sm. bay scallops, calamari, shrimp and clams. I used some tomato basil marinara sauce from Whole Foods as a base for the seafood and it was so so so delicious! I am just hoping that I calculated the blocks correctly because that is something that I am still working on perfecting. That's the only part of the Zone that I am having difficulty with.

The new recipes sound great. Another thing that I make that is quick during the work week is sauteed chicken breast, throw a jar of salsa over it, (I ususally make my own, but for the Salsa Chicken, I do buy it), simmer, and top with block of black beans, (or I add them in the salsa to simmer) then top with a tiny bit of cheese. I used to put this over rice, but now use spaghetti squash.

Emily, that sounds yummy!

Mari, your chicken idea is great, too!

CHICKEN WITH GREEN PEPPERS AND PINEAPPLE SALSA OVER SPAGHETTI SQUASH

3 oz chicken breast, cut into pieces - 3P
Mexican seasoning (or taco seasoning)
1 tsp olive oil - 3F
2 cups green pepper, chopped - 1C
1/2 cup Paul Newman's Pineapple Salsa - 1C
1 cup Spaghetti Squash - 1C

Season the chicken and saute in olive oil until cooked. Add the green pepper, saute until tender. Add the salsa, cook until heated through. Cook spaghetti squash and place 1 cup of the shreds on a plate, top with the chicken mixture, and enjoy!

This recipe is a 3 block recipe

Cran, thanks for posting the new recipe. Sounds delish! I wanted to let you know that for lunch today I had the Cincinatti Chili recipe and it was to die for! I really felt like I was cheating and eating a bowl of pasta with meat sauce. Spaghetti squash is now one of my staples in my Zone kitchen

Yippee! I am really glad that it made you smile. Thanks for making my day!

Emily, Isn't the Cincinatti Chili recipe great? We love it. DH had his with Dreamfields pasta and I had mine with spaghetti squash.

Cran, the new recipe sounds great. I may be tempted to sub a block of the peppers for a block of onions, since I am a lover of sauteed onions, but still sounds really good. Also - some crushed red pepper (for those of us that like a little spice).

Mari, I think the onions sound like a great addition!

When I first made up the recipe, I actually only did 2 blocks of it, and so I didn't have all of that green pepper in there. And, I am not a huge fan of "cooked" green pepper, unless it is just quickly sauteed.

However, I think your idea of adding the onions is a great way to work out the green pepper problem, and I also love sauteed onions! I wish I had thought of that before!

Thanks for the nice compliment on the Cinci chili! I love it, too. Nice combo of flavors!

I tried the spaghetti squash and love it!! It is also my new favorite vegetable and as some of you know, I don't like to eat a lot of veggies. Three blocks of this is 3 cups. For those who are carb sensitive, do you notice craving carbs after eating it? I could eat it everyday!

I enjoy it a lot, too! I have never had 3 blocks of it in one sitting, but I use it as one block of a meal, in which I have other carbs added, so I can't answer specifically because I have never tried it alone.

I just picked up some more at the store!

Kiimberly, I usually eat it as just 1 block, and with pasta sauce count another block, along with a salad. and some protein such as chicken sausage from Trader Joes, or the Cincinnati Chili. I have never eaten 3 cups of it, but have never had carb cravings whatsoever when I eat it in combination with other carbs. I even prefer it over Dreamfields Pasta, and I am a true lover of pasta! Isn't it great?

Mari, I have often wondered, and maybe you said it before, but who is the baby in your picture?

I had always assumed it was your own child, but then when we were discussing anniversaries, I thought maybe this is a grandchild?

You look too young to be a grandmother, though!