Quickly Prepared Spaghetti Squash!

Though I am not a fan of winter, I am a fan of the variety of squash in which it has to offer! One of my favorites being the ultimate pasta-pretender: the spaghetti squash.
You’ll see these big yellow squash all over the grocery store around this time of the year, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself standing in front of them, contemplating whether or not buying one is worth the effort of preparing one.
The shells of these squash are no joke. They are HARD and quite the headache to try and crack open! For years now, I’ve tried a number of ways to effectively get into one without:
A.) risking accidentally stabbing myself with the large, sharp knife necessary to cut into it
B.) giving myself 3rd degree burns trying to hold onto the hot shell that was just baking in the oven for 30 minutes as that fire ball wobbles around and I try to cut it (without stabbing myself)
FINALLY, I found both an easy and a fast solution! What usually requires almost an hour of roasting (and all of the risks I just mentioned), now can be knocked out in about 15 minutes...and with half the effort!
Follow along below, and you’ll be ready to slurp down a big ole plate of “spaghetti” in no time!
Step 1: Acquire a spaghetti squash

Step 2: Score the squash with a knife, then microwave for about 5 minutes.
I wouldn’t microwave for any longer to avoid steam building up inside-- take the squash out, try again to cut it, if it is still too hard, pop it back in for another 2-3 minutes.
It will still require some muscle to finally cut/crack it open, but the point of this step is to require a little less muscle than normal.

Step 3: Scoop out the seeds! (BONUS: save the seeds for a roasted snack)

Step 4: Place half of a squash face down in a microwave safe bowl with about 1 inch of water in it

Step 5: Microwave for 5 minutes, check shell with a fork-- if it feels more tender, you’re good to go, if it is still very hard, pop back in for another few minutes (time will depend on size of squash and strength of microwave!)
Step 6: Remove from dish using oven mitts (There’s no way around this--it WILL be hot! Use mitts or you’ll burn your hands!) and stand upright on a cutting board or large plate
Step 7: Using a fork, start scraping the strands of the inside of the squash

**Repeat steps 4-7 with second half if so desired, or save other half for another day!**
Step 8: Check back here within the next week for delicious and easy recipes for your newly prepared spaghetti squash!
There you have it! Less muscle, less waiting, more chances of you actually buying/making spaghetti squash!
This delicious food is so versatile, so be sure to check back as I put up some of my favorite sweet and savory recipes!

Talk to you soon ;)