Content

• Ingredients
• Steps
• Method 1 of 5: Preparing the pumpkin
• Method 2 of 5: Microwaving with water
• Method 3 of 5: Microwave without water
• Method 4 of 5: Cooking the Whole Pumpkin
• Method 5 of 5: Feed
• What do you need

The thin, spaghetti-like flesh of spaghetti pumpkin is very often used as a healthy alternative to pasta. It is a low-calorie pumpkin, with an average of 42 calories per cup of pulp (155 g). This pumpkin also contains nutrients such as vitamin A, potassium and beta-carotene. This makes it a great alternative to high-calorie pasta, and microwave cooking is a breeze!

Ingredients

For 4-6 servings

• 1 medium spaghetti pumpkin (1800 g)
• Water
• 2 tablespoons ghee (30 ml)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (5 ml)
• 1/2 ground black pepper (2.5 ml)

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Preparing the pumpkin

1. 1 Rinse the pumpkin. Rinse the pumpkin under cold, running water. Scrub gently with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt.
   • After you've rinsed the pumpkin, dry it thoroughly. If the pumpkin is left wet, it may slip off when you cut it, and you could accidentally cut yourself.
2. 2 Cut the pumpkin in half from top to end.
   • To make it easier for you to cut the pumpkin on a cutting board, cut off the top first. Then place the pumpkin on its flat end and start cutting in half.
   • Use a large, heavy kitchen knife. The knife can be either serrated or with a smooth blade, but it must be strong and very sharp.
3. 3 Remove seeds. Using a metal spoon, remove the seeds and sticky pulp. The inside of the pumpkin must be completely cleaned.
   • You can use a melon spoon or ice cream spoon to remove the fibers.

Method 2 of 5: Microwaving with water

1. 1 Place the pumpkin in a baking dish. Place it in a microwave safe container, cut part down.
   • Use a container that is the right size for your microwave and can also hold two pumpkin halves.
2. 2 Pour a small amount of water into a container. Fill the mold 1 inch (2.5 cm) with warm water.
3. 3 Cook in the microwave for 12 minutes. Cook the pumpkin over high heat until tender.
   • If your microwave rotates, then there is no need to rotate the pumpkin while cooking.
   • If it does not rotate, then after 6 minutes, stop the process and turn the pumpkin 180 degrees, then resume the cooking process for the remaining 6 minutes.
   • The pumpkin is done when the outer shell is soft enough to pierce with a fork.
4. 4 Let the pumpkin cool for 15 minutes. Wait for the pumpkin to cool enough to serve.

Method 3 of 5: Microwave without water

1. 1 Place the pumpkin in a microwave-safe dish. The pumpkin should be with the cut side down.
2. 2 Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Wrap the dish with it. Leave a small hole on one side of the dish to allow a little steam to escape.
   • Make sure the plastic wrap is microwave safe, as not all types and brands are designed for this.
3. 3 Cook the pumpkin for 7-10 minutes. The pumpkin is done when the outer shell is soft enough to pierce with a fork.
   • If your microwave won't spin, stop cooking every 3 minutes and turn the pumpkin 90 degrees each time. Otherwise, the pumpkin will not cook evenly.
4. 4 Remove the plastic wrap and let the pumpkin cool. Using tongs, remove the film from the dish. Start on the opposite side of the dish, which will allow more hot steam to escape to the opposite side of you.
   • Be careful - hot steam can burn you!
   • Let the pumpkin cool for 10-15 minutes, or until it is cool enough to touch.

Method 4 of 5: Cooking the Whole Pumpkin

1. 1 Pierce the pumpkin instead of cutting. Using a sharp knife, puncture 10-15 places at an even distance from each other.
   • It is very important to make the punctures before cooking the pumpkin. Otherwise, excessive heating may cause it to burst in the microwave.
   • Piercing a pumpkin is not easy, and you may need to make an effort to pierce a pumpkin with a knife. Try to be very careful not to accidentally cut yourself in the process.
   • Do not follow the pumpkin preparation instructions for slicing.
2. 2 Cook the pumpkin in the microwave for 10-12 minutes. The pumpkin should be soft enough to pierce with a fork.
   • If your microwave does not spin, rotate the pumpkin 180 degrees every 5-6 minutes so that it cooks evenly.
3. 3 Let the pumpkin cool for a few minutes. You don't have to wait for the pumpkin to cool down enough to be easy to touch, but these few minutes will allow the hot steam and juice to come out of the pumpkin's puncture holes.
4. 4 Cut the pumpkin in half. Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise from base to end.
   • Hold the pumpkin with a towel or put on mittens as the pumpkin will still be hot.
   • Cutting a pumpkin in half should be very easy. But if it isn't, you may need to microwave it for an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. 5 Remove seeds. Remove the seeds with a metal spoon. The sticky fibers should also come off with the seeds, but be careful not to remove the pumpkin pulp.

Method 5 of 5: Feed

1. 1 Clean the inside of the pumpkin. Using a fork, separate the pumpkin pulp from the shell, moving from the walls to the center.
   • Move around the perimeter of the pumpkin, gently separating the spaghetti-like pulp of the pumpkin and, as it were, "whipping" it towards the center.
   • If you find it difficult to do it with one fork, use two. Use one fork to hold the pumpkin while using the other to separate the pulp.
2. 2 Transfer the pumpkin strands to a serving platter. Using a fork, gently transfer the pumpkin spaghetti from the shell to the platter.
   • If the shell is still hot, you may need to hold it with gloves or a tea towel.
3. 3 Season with ghee, salt and ground black pepper. Add these ingredients to a serving dish and toss gently with the spaghetti pumpkin.
   • You can also serve spaghetti squash in a variety of other ways. For example, if you use it as an alternative to real spaghetti, you can add tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
   • You can also add 2-4 (30-60 ml) tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, and green onions.

What do you need

• Vegetable brush
• Large kitchen knife
• Vegetable peeling knife
• Metal spoon or ice cream spoon
• Microwave oven container
• Mittens or kitchen towel
• Polyethylene film
• Two forks
• Serving dish