Spaghetti squash leads her on road to enlightenment

There was a time when I couldn’t see the point of winter squash.

Oh, I knew it was an effective torture device, the creation of a warped horticulturists bent on terrorizing children with texture issues.

Additionally, I was highly suspicious of a food that was just as comfortable in the oven as on the window ledge with a face carved on its chest and a candle glowing in its belly.

But once I started hanging out in restaurants where creative chefs were actually putting a little thought and passion into their squash cookery, my prejudice began to waver.

Now I can actually appreciate a good winter squash recipe. By good, I mean a thoughtful use of herbs or spices, and treatment beyond the obligatory baked slab with a pat of butter on top. I’m sure that offends those of you who are perfectly happy with your squash served this way, but I guess I haven’t progressed that far along on the road toward Squash Enlightenment.

The particular variety of winter squash that nudged me in the general direction of appreciation is the spaghetti squash.

When the late Joe Carcione, San Francisco’s beloved Greengrocer, introduced spaghetti squash to his television fans in 1970, people were agog. He called it “Something new under the sun,” and proceeded to showed us how the oblong, yellow-skinned squash, which more resembles a watermelon than an autumn-into-winter vegetable, got its name.

“You can steam or boil it,” I remember him saying, as he picked up a freshly cooked squash with his large and weathered hands and quickly slit it through lengthwise with his ever-present paring knife.

“And then,” he said, as a wide grin spread across his face, “be sure and let the kids watch the next step because they will love to see it.”

With that, he scraped the soft yam-like interior with a fork and long spaghetti-like strands of squash fell down into a waiting bowl. At the time The Greengrocer stated that as novel as it was, he expected that people would take to it, that it would become more than a passing fancy.

Well, umpteen years later, and just as Carcione predicted, spaghetti squash is still delighting children and cooks.

This is the time of year when it’s easiest to find and at the peak of flavor, so give it a try. Like most varieties of squash, its flavor is complimented by tomato sauce, pesto sauce, or just plain butter and herbs. As the king of produce said, “It’s absolutely delicious.”

Selection: These days, it’s easy to find a variety of hard-shelled (winter) squashes in the supermarket. They’re all good keepers, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find one in bad shape. However, the obvious signs of spoilage would be soft spots, moldy spots or significant blemishes. The stem should be intact if you don’t plan to use it right away. If the squash has been cut into pieces, they shouldn’t appear dried out.

Storage: If you keep your squash in a cool, dry place they’ll keep (uncut) for at least a month. After cutting, wrap any unused chunks in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Cutting: How hard-shelled is a hard-shelled squash? The words “armored tank” come to mind. So be careful when trying to break through their thick skins. A large, heavy knife is generally a necessity, and some even require the use of a Chinese cleaver. If you don’t know how you’re going to get it open once you get it home, buy precut squash.

Peeling: There’s no need to peel; they can be cooked and served in the skin. For purees, simply bake or steam the squash in the skin first (after cutting open), and then scoop the cooked flesh away from the skin. For those recipes that require peeled raw squash, my advice is to choose a relatively thin-skinned variety such as butternut or delicata.

Baking: To bake, cut the unpeeled squash into serving-size pieces, remove any seeds and strings, then arrange the pieces in a lightly-oiled baking dish, season, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven until tender.

Steaming: Cook unpeeled squash halves or pieces in a covered steamer until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and a little butter or margarine.

Selection: The average spaghetti squash is about 3 pounds, but range from 2 to 5 pounds. It should have a firm, unblemished exterior. It’s oval in shape, and light to golden yellow in color.

Preparation: There are several ways to prepare this delicate-tasting squash. Cook whole in boiling water, or halve and steam. In the oven they can be baked whole or halved. To cook an average 3-pound spaghetti squash, halve lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place cut side down on a lightly greased baking dish or cookie sheet. Add water to a depth of 1-inch, if desired, but it isn’t necessary. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. The same size squash, halved, takes about 35 to 40 minutes to cook, covered, in a large pot with 2 inches of simmering water. When tender, fluff the interior with a fork and serve.

Microwave: A 31/2-pound whole spaghetti squash placed in oven will cook in 15 minutes.

To serve: As Carcione recommended, one of the simplest preparations is to scrape the strands of hot squash into a bowl and drizzle with melted butter and minced garlic. Due to its mild flavor, it is equally delicious with Italian meat sauces, pesto or fresh tomatoes and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil.

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The author of this recipe sums up my feelings exactly when she states: “Hard-shelled squash purees are too sweet for my taste; I like to cut the sweetness with parsnips, which add a subtle nutty flavor.

“The two together make a distinctive puree that is better than the sum of its parts. Try it with the Thanksgiving turkey, a holiday ham, roast pork loin, roast duck or quail.”

1pound sweet hard-skinned squash, such as butternut

2/3pound parsnips

2tablespoons butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If your squash is whole, cut it open; remove the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into eight equal pieces. Arrange the pieces in one layer in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, peel the parsnips, discarding the ends. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a 3-quart saucepan with 1/2 cup lightly salted water. Bring it to a simmer over high heat, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer until the parsnips are tender, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat as necessary to keep all the water from evaporating; if necessary add a little more water, but the water should have completely evaporated by the time the parsnips are done.

Put the parsnips in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Using a large spoon, scrape in the squash flesh; discard the skins. Puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a clean saucepan. Cut the butter into small pieces and add them; reheat the puree over low heat, stirring. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

“More Vegetables, Please,” by Janet Fletcher

1whole cooked squash

Melted butter

Parmesan cheese

Scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a bowl. Toss with butter, then fold in lots of grated Parmesan.

This was the “house squash” at The Straight Warf Restaurant on Nantucket Island, Mass.

From “The Victory Garden Cookbook,” by Marian Morash

The long braising process mellows all the garlic into a soft, gentle flavor.

3tablespoons butter

3tablespoons white wine

10cloves garlic, peeled

11/4pounds butternut or other winter variety of squash, peeled, seeded, diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over low heat. Add the wine and garlic cloves. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes; the garlic will brown slightly but should not burn. Mash the garlic with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the diced squash.

Toss thoroughly to coat; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Yields 4 servings.

Adapted from “Greene On Greens” by Bert Greene

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.