Trying to eat Paleo or keto and missing that side of fried rice? Make this recipe for spaghetti squash fried “rice” instead!
Did you know that a side dish of fried rice at Panda Express has 85 grams of carbs in it?!
WHOA!
Step aside pasta, white AND brown rice can both tout that they have more carbs than you do!
But look out rice and pasta!
Who needs those when you can use healthy spaghetti squash instead!
Is Spaghetti Squash Healthy?
Well for starters, spaghetti squash is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.
Spaghetti squash in particular is high in beta carotene and vitamin C!
Other advantages include better digestive health, more fiber, and trace minerals! (see full article here)
It is also a lower calorie food than rice.
One cup of cooked spaghetti squash contains about 42 calories versus 242 calories in cooked white rice.
And the biggest factor for me is the difference in carbohydrates!! (my keto roots)
One cup of cooked spaghetti squash has 10g of carbohydrates whereas one cup of cooked white rice has about 53g of carbohydrates!
That’s more carbs than in regular pasta!
And the cool thing about spaghetti squash is that it is the lowest glycemic squash!
Compared to butternut squash, spaghetti squash has half the carbs!
So next time you are considering a dish with pasta or rice, keep in mind that you can probably use spaghetti squash instead!
For directions on how to quickly cook spaghetti squash in an Instant Pot, check out my full directions here!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash for Fried “Rice” Without an Instant Pot
For those of you that haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet, don’t panic!
Spaghetti squash is easy-peasy to make without an Instant Pot, it just takes longer.
My favorite way to cook spaghetti squash in the oven is to leave it whole.
Why wrestle with cutting a round, slippery squash lengthwise with a sharp knife in your hand?
That’s just asking for an injury (at least for me!).
Instead, I just wash the squash off and pop it in the oven.
I don’t even bother to preheat the oven.
Just throw the squash in the oven on a small baking pan and turn the oven on to 425 degrees.
Cook the squash for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted pierces the skin easily but has just a bit of resistance as you get close to the middle.
Remove from the oven and let the squash cool for 10 minutes, or until you can handle it.
NOW, use a knife to cut it open.
It might be pretty hot still, so just let it sit until you can handle it without burning your fingers.
Once cooled enough, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
Then, use a fork to scrape out the squash flesh.
Voilà!
You have oven roasted squash for this recipe!
Which Way Should I Cut the Spaghetti Squash for Fried “Rice”?
There’s no wrong way to cut a spaghetti squash, but it is important to note that the way you cut a squash will change how long the strands are.
So if you cut a spaghetti squash open lengthwise (from the stem down to the other end), this will result in SHORT strands.
This is the direction I would cut your spaghetti squash for THIS recipe.
Alternatively, you can also cut a spaghetti squash open crosswise (around the short middle). This will result in LONG strands.
While I don’t recommend that for this recipe (since the shorter strands are more like rice), cutting a spaghetti squash crosswise is a great way to make strands that are more like spaghetti noodles.
So depending on the recipe, you might want to change up what direction you cut open your spaghetti squash!
Spaghetti Squash Fried “Rice” {keto, Whole 30, AIP option}
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Trying to eat Paleo or keto and missing that side of fried rice? Make this recipe for spaghetti squash fried “rice” instead!
Ingredients
- 1 small spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
- 1 onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup coconut aminos (or whatever soy sauce or alternative soy sauce your family uses)
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 pound carrots
- ¼ cup butter, divided (use avocado oil, ghee, or coconut oil for Paleo, Whole 30, and AIP)
- 1 cup frozen peas (can omit for strict keto)
- 12 eggs (omit for AIP)
- Optional: Green onion garnish
Instructions
- Wash off the spaghetti squash and cook either whole or in halves in an Instant Pot (see full directions here). See notes above for alternative methods on how to cook the spaghetti squash without an Instant Pot. Continue on with step 2 while the spaghetti squash cooks.
- Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Leave sit for 10 minutes for an anti-cancer boost! Meanwhile, chop up the celery. Peel and dice the carrots.
- Using a large pot (make sure it has a lid), melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the ground pork and coconut aminos. Cook over medium heat until pork is cooked thoroughly (about 5 minutes). Add the diced carrots.
- Cover the mixture with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until carrots are cooked to desired level of doneness.
- While the stir-fry cooks, if the Instant Pot is done, remove the spaghetti squash and place on a plate. Let cool for 5 minutes or until it is cool enough to handle. Scrape the squash out of the skin and add it to the pork mixture once it is done cooking. Keep the stir-fry warm over medium-low heat while completing the next step.
- Using a different skillet or pan, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. While the butter melts, crack all of the eggs into a bowl and whisk them until thoroughly mixed. Add them to the melted butter and cook until they have turned into scrambled eggs.
- Serve the spaghetti squash and pork mixture in bowls topped with scrambled eggs and add extra butter, coconut aminos, or chopped green onion if desired.
Notes
Storage: Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, this recipe can be frozen for up to 6 months for best freshness. Reheat leftovers by adding a little extra butter or oil to a saucepan. Reheat with the lid on, stirring occasionally until thoroughly heated.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
