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Trade the carbs of the pasta for vegetables with this easy and quick fall recipe. Spaghetti squash is easy and versatile.

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash with a unique stringy flesh that resembles spaghetti noodles. This recipe is a low carb side dish featuring classic Italian flavors but without the pasta! Spaghetti squash is also a lower potassium winter squash, making it a great addition to a kidney-friendly diet. Chef's Tip: Microwaving the raw spaghetti squash before cutting in half makes it much easier to cut into.

I remember making my first spaghetti squash when I was a teenager. My sister and I had so much fun combing out strands of the squash as you would spaghetti. We always called spaghetti squash “our” spaghetti. This version is much more grown up with the flavors of sage and cheese, but to be honest, I could still top spaghetti squash with a little marinara sauce and call it a meal.

Spaghetti squash is a low-carb alternative to the traditional rice noodles in Pad Thai. One cup of cooked spaghetti squash contains just 10 grams of total carbohydrate, compared to 42 grams for the rice noodles!

The sweetness of the California Dates pairs beautifully with the spiciness of the arugula and the Indian spice blend, garam masala, adds depth of flavor to this enticing side dish. Keeping the skin on the acorn squash adds texture and fiber to the dish as well. Feel free to swap out the acorn squash with other winter varieties, such as delicata squash.

Since this recipe only uses half of the cooked spaghetti squash, use the other half for another tasty recipe. An easy idea is to scrape out the squash and sauté it with a little pesto sauce. This makes for a two-ingredient side dish that's packed with flavor!

The huge timesaver in this recipe is using frozen winter squash, which is surprisingly delicious. This makes a great fall side dish. If you don’t like squash, you could substitute sweet potatoes for it in this recipe.

Try this dish in place of stuffing or as a vegetable side dish this Thanksgiving. You can also enjoy it any other night for dinner. It’s packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients.

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Spaghetti squash is simple to cook and makes a great lower-carb substitute for pasta. It’s perfect for a winter day when the kids are out of school on winter vacation.