Have you ever thought about cooking spaghetti squash for your baby, but you’re not sure how to prepare it? Then here are some handy spaghetti squash facts and a couple of yummy recipes to get you started!
- The spaghetti squash is also known as vegetable marrow, noodle squash, spaghetti marrow, squaghetti or vegetable spaghetti!
- It is given the name spaghetti squash because it can easily be separated into spaghetti-like strands once cooked.
- It is a type of winter squash and can be found in creamy, yellow or orange colours. We prefer the orange variety for baby food, as it is higher in beta-carotene and tastes sweeter.
- Spaghetti squash also contains potassium and folate.
- The seeds from a spaghetti squash can be roasted, just like pumpkin seeds, to make a healthy snack for older children and adults.
Although it can be cooked in just about any way you can think of (boiled, steamed, microwaved etc), we prefer to simply bake it whole – mostly because it is such hard work to cut up when raw (like all winter squashes, really).
To bake a spaghetti squash whole…
Pierce it several times with a fork and bake it at 375 deg F (190 deg C) for about an hour, until it’s nice and tender.
DON’T FORGET to pierce it – or it will explode in the oven. And DO make sure it’s thoroughly cooked, or the strands won’t separate properly afterwards.
Once the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven, halve it lengthwise (with great caution – a lot of steam will escape) and scoop out the seeds. Then run a fork down its length and the spaghetti-like strands will appear!
You can use cooked spaghetti squash instead of real spaghetti (ideal for dieters, because spaghetti squash is so low in calories). It tastes great tossed simply with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese, then chopped to the size to suit your baby!
Here are two more great ideas for serving spaghetti squash to your baby…
Spaghetti squash with carrot and ginger sauce (8 months+)
8oz (1 cup) cooked spaghetti squash strands (warm)
1 medium carrot, diced (do I need to peel carrots for my baby?)
water
2oz (1/4 cup) soft tofu
pinch of ground ginger
In a small saucepan, just cover the diced carrots with water and simmer until tender.
Transfer the carrots (with their cooking water) to a food processor and add the tofu and ginger.
Process until smooth.
Toss the spaghetti squash with the carrot sauce until well coated, chopping the spaghetti squash strands to a manageable size.
For a less textured meal, reduce the amount of spaghetti squash used. If you just use an ounce or two (1/4 cup) of squash and chop it finely, you can then stir it into the carrot sauce – a gentle way to introduce texture if your baby has a tendency to gag.
Spaghetti squash patties
1 cooked spaghetti squash, separated into strands
2oz (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour
4oz Parmesan cheese (grated)
4 tbsp olive oil
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
In a bowl, thoroughly combine the squash with the flour, cheese, black pepper and chives.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat.
Spoon 2 tbsp of the squash mixture into the pan and flatten.
Cook until golden underneath, then turn with a spatula and cook on the other side.
Continue cooking the individual ‘patties’ separately, then cool to a safe handling temperature and serve.
These make a great finger food served with another favourite veggie, pureed as a dip!
Like to discover some more sensational squash baby food recipes?
Phil
Wednesday 5th of September 2012
I snuck some kale into the patties and it got eaten up. Thanks for the recipe!
Homemade Baby Food Recipes
Friday 7th of September 2012
You're welcome :)