Spaghetti or spaghetti squash – which came first?
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The history of pasta noodles goes back to Etruscan tomb carvings in 4th century BC, but it’s believed to go back to 2000 BC in Western China. Learn more about China noodles and the Silk Road, ancient trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean Sea, from the book, On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome, with Love and Pasta.
American pasta became popular after Thomas Jefferson brought a macaroni machine back to America when he was the minister of France.
Squash crops are estimated to have been grown in Mexico 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Native Americans ate squash and pumpkins. However, the verses of Numbers 11:1-6 (NIV) in the Bible mention “cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic”. Could melons in this verse be referring to squash? Watermelon, squash, and melon come from the same family. It’s possible that squash has been around a lot longer than thought to be. Food for thought.
One thing is certain – we have come a long way in America with how squash is cooked as far as tools. Ancient people used earthen pots and woven baskets as cooking tools and cooked on hot coals or with hot stones. Squash were boiled, roasted, or dried. Squash seeds, which look like pumpkin seeds, could be dried and was basically eaten as a snack.
Now squash can be cooked by using a variety of kitchen appliances – stove, oven, microwave, and crockpot.
Boiling is generally how squash are cooked. The squash in the recipe below was cooked in a crockpot. It’s an easy way to have dinner ready without much preparation.
Spaghetti Squash with Barbecue Pulled Pork and Brown Rice
- 1 Spaghetti (winter) Squash
- 2-3 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Barbecue Pulled Pork and Brown Rice Recipe (See recipe: https://kitchenhospitality.com/crockpot-jack-daniels-barbecue-pulled-pork-and-brown-rice/)
- Rinse squash, and place it in the crockpot.
- Cover squash with water.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Turn crockpot on low and cook 2 more hours.
- Slice squash in half, and take out the seeds.
- Scrape the inside of squash with a fork and place the squash meat onto a plate.
- Heat up Barbecue Pulled Pork and Brown Rice recipe in the microwave.
- Add pork and rice mixture on top of the spaghetti squash.
- It's ready to serve.
The nutrition values are approximate.
|Amount Per Serving|
|% Daily Value*|
|Total Fat 5.55||8.5%|
|Saturated Fat 0||0|
|Total Carbohydrate 76||25.3%|
|Dietary Fiber 6.4||25.6%|
|Vitamin A||Vitamin C|
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
KITCHEN SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY - KSH
I had previously made the pulled pork and brown rice recipe in the crockpot and used leftovers for the spaghetti squash recipe. Spaghetti squash has a sweet flavor which blended well with the barbecue recipe. However, you could change the recipe up by adding ground hamburger or turkey and spaghetti sauce. I’ve made it that way before, and it tasted delicious. Another option is to add spaghetti sauce and your favorite stir-fry veggies.
What are some other spaghetti squash recipes that you have tried and liked?
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