Spaghetti squash or vegetable spaghetti is a group of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of ''

Cucurbita pepo ''Cucurbita pepo'' is a cultivated plant of the genus ''Cucurbita''. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong to the subspecies ''Cucurbita pepo'' subsp. ''pepo'', called summer squash. It has b ...

'' subsp. ''pepo''. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, including ivory, yellow and orange, with orange having the highest amount of carotene. Its center contains many large seeds. When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash. When cooked, the meat of the fruit falls away from the flesh in ribbons or strands that look like, and can be used as an alternative to,

spaghetti Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridg ...

Preparation

Spaghetti squash can be cooked in a variety of ways, including baking, boiling, steaming, or microwaving.How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
/ref> Once cooked the flesh of this fruit can be prepared in a way that its “strands” look like and are as long as traditional spaghetti noodles. It can be served with or without sauce as a substitute for pasta, and its seeds can be roasted, similar to pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition

Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients, including

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...

, and

beta carotene Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labio ...

. It is low in

calories The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of o ...

, averaging 42 calories per 1-cup (155 grams) serving.

Cultivation

Spaghetti squash is relatively easy to grow, thriving in gardens or pots. The plants are monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers have long, thin stems that extend upwards from the vine. Female flowers are shorter, with a small round growth underneath the petals. This round growth turns into the squash if the flower is successfully

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

. File:Spaghetti Squash Cooked 500.jpg, Cooked File:Spaghetti Squash Prepared 500.jpg, Prepared File:Male spaghetti squash flower.jpg, Male flower File:Female spaghetti squash flower.jpg, Female flower File:Somenkabocha - squash - Japan - September 2014.jpg, Being sold at a

Greengrocer A greengrocer is a person who owns or operates a shop selling primarily fruit and vegetables. The term may also be used to refer to a shop selling primarily produce. It is used predominantly in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United ...

in Japan File:Spaghetti Squash Marinara.jpg, Served with marinara sauce

References

External links

* {{Squashes and pumpkins Squashes and pumpkins