Healthy Spaghetti Squash alla Vodka Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is spaghetti squash really healthy for you? ›

Spaghetti squash is a winter vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Due to its low calorie content and high fiber content, it may aid weight loss and digestive health. Try roasted spaghetti squash as a low carb alternative to pasta, combined with veggies, protein, whole grains, and healthy fats.

In a vodka sauce, the vodka helps maintain a cohesive texture, allowing the creaminess to meld with the tomato base. And sure, you could use wine to the same effect, but in a sauce as rich as vodka sauce, it's better to use a small amount of alcohol that will impart as little of its own flavor as possible.

Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to choose, and contains fewer calories and carbohydrates compared to normal spaghetti. Spaghetti contains on average about 200 calories and 42 grams of carbohydrates per serving (2 ounces).

Vodka sauce is a tomato-based sauce that's spiked with a hint of vodka for extra tanginess, then softened with a splash of heavy cream that gives the sauce a gorgeous reddish-orange color. It can be used in a wide variety of Italian recipes.

Does the spaghetti squash have any downsides? According to Czerwony, the only real downside of the spaghetti squash is if you have an allergy. “Unless you have an allergy, it's high in fiber and essential vitamins while being low in calories and carbs,” she says.

That's a long time, but it would be a mistake to use spaghetti squash once it's started going bad. Some small unsavory spots can be cut away, but you'll want to toss the squash if it feels mushy, soft, or hollow.

Adding the vodka to the sauce when there are only a handful of minutes left of cooking time ensures the sauce is neither overly boozy nor absent of the flavor-enhancing effects of the vodka.

Yes, a vodka pasta sauce should be safe for children, if cooked thoroughly. Traditional vodka sauce uses such a small amount of alcohol that it should evaporate out during cooking.

In cooking, especially in penne alla vodka, deglazing a pan with liquor has many powers. Wine works, too, but a clean-tasting vodka has mostly water and ethanol (a solvent), which is excellent at carrying aromatic compounds — like those in tomatoes.

Spaghetti squash is a low-calorie food. Its fiber content makes it filling. Since people use it as a substitute for high-calorie foods, it can be a valuable part of a weight-control regimen. Maintaining a healthy weight can improve many conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

Is it okay to eat a whole spaghetti squash? ›

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Whole. Spaghetti squash is unique because it's not just a vegetable but also a pasta substitute. Cooking spaghetti squash whole in the oven is easy, and it creates a delicious gluten-free pasta option.

A look into essential Vitamins & Minerals, shows that Zucchini Pasta outdoes Spaghetti Squash on every one, except for Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium and Selenium. Information found from SELF's Nutrition Data calculator.

Coconut milk is the fastest, easiest substitute for heavy cream. Just open a can and pour it in (bonus: this recipe uses an entire can). You can also blend raw cashews in a high-speed blender to create a kind of cashew “cream.” If using cashew cream, use half as much as you would coconut milk.

Denser milk products (such as cream) can separate, especially when an acid (like tomatoes) is introduced. Vodka acts as an emulsifier, a binder, and will prevent the cream from separating.

Colon Health

Because of the appearance of spaghetti squash, you might assume that it is rich in fiber. It has over 2 grams per serving, which is more than regular pasta but not as much as many other vegetables. Fiber in the diet contributes to colon health by increasing the regularity of bowel movements.

For example, compared to butternut squash, one cup of spaghetti squash has just 1/100 the amount of beta-carotene, a plant compound the body converts to vitamin A and uses to protect our eye health and immune system. And it contains just 1/3 the amount of fiber, folate and potassium.

1. Butternut Squash. One of the most popular varieties of squash, it can be use in so many ways. It's one of the most rich in Vitamin A, boasting about 100% of the recommended daily value per cup, in the antioxidant form of beta-carotene.

One cup of spaghetti squash has 40 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of sugar. Spaghetti squash is fat free and one cup provides 2 grams of fiber making it a great alternative to noodles and rice.