Pile on The Paleo Spaghetti…Squash

There are lots of gluten-free, and even grain-free ‘noodle’ options if you scan the market these days, but still, pasta made with flours, even if they are nut-based, are not much more than inflammatory fillers without much to offer from a nutritional standpoint. And while the easiest option is simply to eschew the whole concept, opting for a base of your fave leafy greens instead of rice or pasta, it’s worth mentioning that it’s simply fun to have a variety of shapes and textures from a culinary point of view. One route to go is to use a veggie spiralizer, a tool that amounts to a peeler, allowing the peel to take the shape of ribbons, or noodles, if you will, and rendering that particular shape you’re looking for. Another idea, and this one is my favorite, is simply to rely on a squash; in particular, spaghetti squash. Simply cut it in half, scrape out the seeds with a fork, place it cut side down in a glass baking dish with a couple of inches of water and 45 minutes later after baking at 450, you’ve got yourself some spaghetti.   Remove from the oven, turn over to let cool and scrape out the squash with a fork. Voila! Combine with fresh basil and olive oil, your favorite homemade Paleo-style marinara, or mix it up with Paleoista’s Muhammara. Easy, healthy and no need for a ‘thickened’ sauce, such as one might partake of if they were going for something along the lines of an Alfredo Sauce for fettuccine. Ugh! The mere thought makes me sleepy!