national spaghetti day

Today is National Spaghetti Day! I know, I know, you're thinking that I invent a new food related holiday every day, but in fact, today really is National Spaghetti Day. I've been celebrating the delicious dish all day long, and meant to start it off (small technical snafu) with this rich recipe from Bologna, Italy. Bolognese is a popular Italian sauce that is found in restaurants all over America. It is a thick meat, vegetable and cream sauce most typically served over spaghetti. In Italy a bolognese sauce is more commonly referred to as ragu. To celebrate National Spaghetti Day and make an authentic spaghetti ragu, read more

I am always trying to get more fruits and veggies in my diet, and while I am not quite sure which category spaghetti squash falls into I will freely admit I love it. Since it is National Spaghetti Day, I thought I'd pay a little tribute to this very unique squash.

When you first cut it open, the flesh looks like any other squash, but after it is cooked the flesh tears into ribbons resembling spaghetti. Don't be deceived by its looks - it tastes nothing like spaghetti. It is slightly sweet and, if not overcooked, is crunchy and watery, like cucumber.

Spaghetti squash is versatile and can be baked, boiled or steamed. Serve it with pasta sauce or use it as a vegetable base for macaroni and cheese. I like it with a little garlic sauteed in olive oil, a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese and roasted walnuts.

Nutritionally speaking spaghetti squash contains: folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. Plus it's a low calorie food, averaging 75 calories in 8 cooked ounces. One more factual tidbit of note - it is a New World veggie, native to the Americas.

If you are interested in eating some, check out Cooks.com. The site has a bunch of recipes for spaghetti squash.

I just found out from my friend YumSugar that today is National Spaghetti Day. Now you and I both know that pasta has been much maligned by all those no and low carb diets.

The truth is though, pasta is not bad for you as long as you control your portion size. I think that might be true for just about everything.

We're lucky that there are great products out there to help with measuring our uncooked noodles. So you can be sure you are not over indulging before the spaghetti even hits the water. Buy a spaghetti measuring tool from Amazon.

If you're especially handy, you can make your own spaghetti measuring tool using instructions from Shop Smith Hands On as your guide.

Fit's Tip: If you haven't already, you should give whole wheat spaghetti a try. While it may have an unfamiliar and strong flavor, it is considerably higher in fiber while lower in carbs than the basic semolina variety.