One of the best and easiest ways to control calories and eat more of what is good for you is to cover half of your dinner plate with vegetables. Don't you wish that half a plate of vegetables looked and tasted like spaghetti with sauce? Your wish can come true if you use spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

Despite its name, spaghetti squash is a nonstarchy vegetable that has only 50 calories in a cup compared to the 220 calories in a cup of cooked spaghetti. An added bonus for those with gluten intolerance who cannot eat wheat-based pasta is that spaghetti squash is gluten free.

Buying and Storing

Spaghetti squash is a cylinder-shaped, yellow, hard-shelled squash that weighs from 4 to 8 pounds. It is available in grocery stores at any time of year but is best purchased now at local farmers markets. It can be stored at room temperature for about a month. A four pound squash will yield about 5 cups of cooked squash.

Cooking

• To bake it: Pierce the hard shell several times with a large fork or skewer. Place in a baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the flesh is soft.

• To boil: Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. Bring water to a boil, add the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

• To microwave: Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Warning: Do not microwave a whole spaghetti squash (even if pierced to allow steam to escape). The one and only time I did, I heard an alarming explosion from an adjoining room, rushed into the kitchen to see what had happened and found that the exploding squash had blown open the door to the microwave and deposited strands of squash all over the kitchen!

Preparing to Serve

Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes. If cooked whole, cut in half and remove the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands. The strands should be firm but not crunchy. If not soft enough, microwave, covered, for about 1 minute. Use the cooked squash immediately or refrigerate and rewarm when ready to serve. Top with the pasta sauce of your choice or toss with a sprinkling of olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Freezing

Pack cooked squash in freezer bag, seal tightly and freeze. To serve, cook with a small amount of water on the stovetop or in the microwave (covered) until thawed, about 1-2 minutes. Drain off excess water.

To see how spaghetti squash looks and tastes, stop by the Cornell Cooperative Extension table at the Auburn Farmers Market Thursday, Sept. 11.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN,

is a nutrition resource educator with the Eat Smart NY program at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Makes 6-8 servings

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 medium zucchini, sliced

6 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Place whole squash in pan, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until squash can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in skillet. Cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add peppers and continue to cook until tender. Add zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Add tomato sauce, oregano and basil and cook for 1 minute more. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Using a fork, separate the flesh into long strands. Place in serving dish and spoon sauce over the strands of spaghetti squash.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.