Spaghetti squash

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Spaghetti squash
Starr 070730-7822 Cucurbita pepo.jpg
Fruit of a yellow-skinned cultivar
Species Cucurbita pepo
Origin Asia
Spaghetti squash, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 130 kJ (31 kcal)
6.91 g
Sugars 2.76 g
Dietary fiber 1.5 g
Fat
0.57 g
0.64 g
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
1%
6 μg
1%
64 μg
Thiamine (B1)
3%
0.037 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
1%
0.018 mg
Niacin (B3)
6%
0.95 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
7%
0.36 mg
Vitamin B6
6%
0.101 mg
Folate (B9)
3%
12 μg
Vitamin C
2%
2.1 mg
Vitamin E
1%
0.13 mg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
2%
23 mg
Iron
2%
0.31 mg
Magnesium
3%
12 mg
Manganese
5%
0.125 mg
Phosphorus
1%
12 mg
Potassium
4%
108 mg
Zinc
2%
0.19 mg

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [2]

Spaghetti squash or vegetable spaghetti is a group of cultivars of Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo. [3] They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, including ivory, yellow and orange, with orange having the highest amount of carotene. Its center contains many large seeds. When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash. When cooked, the meat of the fruit falls away from the flesh in ribbons or strands that look like and can be used as an alternative to spaghetti.

Contents

Preparation

Spaghetti squash can be cooked in a variety of ways, including baking, boiling, steaming, air frying, [4] or microwaving. [5] Once cooked the flesh of this fruit can be prepared in a way that its “strands” look like and are as long as traditional spaghetti noodles. [6] It can be served with or without sauce as a substitute for pasta, and its seeds can be roasted, similar to pumpkin seeds.[ citation needed ]

Nutrition

Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients, including folic acid, potassium, and beta carotene. It is low in calories, averaging 42 calories per 1-cup (155 grams) serving.

Cultivation

Spaghetti squash (left) illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804) Item 938308.jpg
Spaghetti squash (left) illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804)

Spaghetti squash is relatively easy to grow, thriving in gardens or pots. [7]

The plants are monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same plant.[ citation needed ] Male flowers have long, thin stems that extend upwards from the vine. Female flowers are shorter, with a small round growth underneath the petals. This round growth turns into the squash if the flower is successfully pollinated.[ citation needed ]

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Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong to the subspecies Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo, called summer squash.

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The honeydew melon is one of the two main cultivar types in Cucumis melo Inodorus Group. It is characterized by the smooth, often green or yellowish rind and lack of musky odor. The other main type in the Inodorus Group is the wrinkle-rind casaba melon.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crookneck squash</span> Cultivar of Cucurbita pepo

Crookneck squash, also known as yellow squash, is a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo, the species that also includes some pumpkins and most other summer squashes. The plants are bushy and do not spread like the plants of winter squash and pumpkin. Most often used as a summer squash, it is characterized by its yellow skin and sweet yellow flesh, as well as its distinctive curved stem-end or "crooked neck". It should not be confused with crookneck cultivars of Cucurbita moschata, such as the winter squash 'Golden Cushaw', or the vining summer squash 'Tromboncino'. Its name distinguishes it from another similar-looking variety of C. pepo, the straightneck squash, which is also usually yellow. There is one similar non-edible C. pepo variety: C. pepo var. ovifera.

Summer squash are squashes that are harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. Most summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, though some are C. moschata. Most summer squash have a bushy growth habit, unlike the rambling vines of many winter squashes. The term "summer squash" refers to the early harvest period and short storage life of these squashes, unlike that of winter squashes.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delicata squash</span> Variety of winter squash

Delicata squash is a variety of winter squash with cylindrical fruits that are cream-coloured and striped in green or orange. As its name suggests, it has characteristically a delicate rind. It is also known as peanut squash, Bohemian squash, or sweet potato squash. It is a very sweet variety with a thin, edible skin and is typically cut into half rounds and roasted. It is a cultivar of the species Cucurbita pepo, which also includes the summer squash varieties pattypan squash, zucchini, and yellow crookneck squash, as well as winter squash varieties including acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and most pumpkins used as Jack-o-lanterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter squash</span> Squash harvested and eaten in mature stage; skin hardened into tough rind

Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash. They differ from summer squash in that they are harvested and eaten in the mature stage when their seeds within have matured fully and their skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumpkin</span> Category of culinary winter Cucurbita squashes

A pumpkin is a cultivated winter squash in the genus Cucurbita. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many different squashes of varied appearance and belonging to multiple species in the Cucurbita genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red kuri squash</span> Type of winter squash

Red kuri squash is a thin skinned orange colored winter squash, a cultivated variety of the species Cucurbita maxima. It looks like a small pumpkin without the ridges. It belongs to the Hubbard squash group.

References

  1. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp. 120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN   978-0-309-48834-1. PMID   30844154 . Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  3. "Cucurbita pepo". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2015-01-31.
  4. heather (2020-06-25). "Spaghetti Squash in Air Fryer". Food Lovin Family. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  5. How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
  6. "How to Cook Spaghetti Squash | Eat Within Your Means". Eat Within Your Means. 2017-01-17. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
  7. Liz Roberts. "Spaghetti squash: a vegetable with a surprise inside". AllWoodWork.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16.