I've been seeing spaghetti squash recipes all over TikTok — even Martha Stewart recently shared her own spin on ???? ???it over on X.
Many of us love pasta — just not the refined carbs that often comes with it. And if there's one thing the internet loves, it's finding clever ways to keep the pasta vibes without the carb guilt.
Remember the zoodles trend? Everyone was shoving zucchini through hand-crank spiralizers to recreate spaghetti noodles. Then came Chickpea pasta, sending health-conscious foodies into a frenzy. Now, it looks like spaghetti squash is beginning to bubble up as the talk-of-the-town on FoodTok.
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To be clear, spaghetti squash isn't some new discovery; it's been touted as a pasta alternative for decades. But search interest for the gourd-bashed dish has been getting a big spike this year, with a late October peak, according to Google Trends,
Spaghetti squash may be the new zoodles
Credit: New Africa / Shutterstock.com The zoodles obsession exploded in 2018, per Google Trends, but it looks like spaghetti squash has taken over.
TikTok creator SarahKraffty, for instance, shared her spaghetti squash recipe and the video garnered 1.2 million views. She calls it a "high-protein" alternative, though well-informed sources like Very Well Fit claim that spaghetti squash is not, on its own, high in protein. It is, however, a "low-calorie, low-glycemic food that provides fiber and important micronutrients including manganese, vitamin A and vitamin C."
It's worth noting, though, that SarahKraffty does add a creamy cottage cheese-and-pesto sauce to her dish — and cottage cheese is known to be high in protein.
A typical spaghetti squash recipe requires the following ingredients:
One medium spaghetti squash (yes, it's actually called "spaghetti squash" due to its noodle-like, fibrous flesh)
Olive oil
Salt and peper
Cut the spaghetti squash length-wise, scoop and discard the seeds, brush the insides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the halves inside the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and scrape the flesh to create spaghetti-like strands.
Traditional recipes suggest adding grated Parmesan cheese and a tomato-based sauce. SarahKraffty's dish features the aforementioned cottage cheese-and-pesto sauce, as well as plum tomatoes, red onions, and an Italian herbs and garlic seasoning mix. She also added ground turkey to the dish.
The TikTok creator ate the spaghetti alternativeinsidethe pumpkin cousin, but you can scrape it out and put on a plate, too.
Social media's fixation with ditching carbs
Social media is buzzing with low-carb alternatives to pasta, from cauliflower rice to spaghetti squash, all in a quest to satisfy cravings without the carbs. But as Andrew Odegaard, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UC Irvine, pointed out, carbs aren’t inherently bad. The key lies in choosing high-quality carbs over low-quality ones, as they make up an essential part of our diet — federal guidelines recommend that 45% to 65% of our daily calories come from carbs.
Instead of cutting out carbs entirely, experts suggest swapping refined pasta for whole-grain options, which are typically higher in fiber and lower in calories. While it might sound cliché, moderation is indeed crucial. According to the Mayo Clinic, skimping on carbs can be as problematic as overindulging. The goal? Aim for balance and prioritize nutrient-rich, high-quality carbs.