Properly Prepared Spaghetti Squash

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350-375.

2. 2

   Halve raw spaghetti squash with a sturdy sharp knife, scoop out, and discard the squash poop with a spoon.

3. 3

   Place halves onto an oven safe cooking dish face up.

4. 4

   Clean head of garlic and thinly slice garlic, (the larger pieces of garlic brown nicely, and offer a wonderful layer of complexity to the dish).

5. 5

   Spread garlic into the bowl like shape of the squash, salt and pepper vigorously, drizzle with a 50/50 mixture of olive oil, and vegetable oil (get the oil everywhere inside the squash).

6. 6

   Place onto the upper middle rack of the oven for about 30-40 minutes. (You will know it is ready when the squash separates with little resistance from the skin).

7. 7

   Remove from oven, and place in coldest location possible for at least 20 minutes, before separating from skin.

8. 8

   Use a fork to scoop and separate squash strands, add any other ingredients you like at this point.

9. 9

   Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino, Feta, are all excellent additions to this dish, as well as, meat, sausage, veggies, olives, the list is endless.

10. 10

    WARNING **** If you use a loose tomato based sauce DO NOT add it immediately to the squash; this makes the squash runny, mushy, and unpalatable. Instead garnish the dish with a little bit of sauce atop the squash, and then offer more sauce on the side, in a separate dish.

11. 11

    If you ever had it served this way you know what I mean.

12. 12

    You can also take any leftovers and add a little bit of flour, and make into patties and fry.