Tim
taught me this technique when we were first married. It
beats almost cutting your arm off!
How
To Cook Any Winter Squash
1 medium
squash
Heat
oven to 350 degrees.
Scrub
squash clean.
Bake
whole in 350 oven for about 30 minutes, or until squash
is soft enough to poke with a fork or knife.
Poke
couple of spots and cook an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour,
until soft to the touch. Or you may cut the squash in half,
put on baking sheet and cook for the additional 45 minutes
to 1 hour, until done. (You may also stuff.)
Serve
right out of the shell or scrape out meat and serve in a
bowl.
NOTE:
When cooking spaghetti squash, scrape out flesh with fork
and serve with pasta sauce. See my recipe for pasta sauce
below.
Tomato Pasta Sauce:
4 cups
fresh tomatoes, chopped or cubed, depending on how chunky
you want the sauce
2 1/2
cups water
2 cups
finely chopped onions
1 cup
finely chopped green peppers
1 cup
finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 clove
garlic, minced
1 Tbs
Italian seasoning
1/4 cup
sugar
1 Tbs
cornstarch for thickening
In
skillet, sauté peppers, onions and garlic until softened a
bit.
In large
saucepan, heat tomatoes, water and sugar. Add sautéed
veggies and seasoning. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine cornstarch and just
enough water to make a paste.
Bring
tomato sauce to a boil, then add paste. Stir. Turn heat to
low; stir until thickened.
Serve
immediately over pasta, rice, or spaghetti squash. Or let
cool and store in refrigerator for later use.
NOTE:
You may substitute canned tomato paste for the cornstarch.
