Spaghetti squash: the sequel (+ squash cookies!)

I know, I know, this spaghetti squash business sounds fishy. How does one get from this...

...to pasta-like strands? Well, look closely; this squash is a little strange:

All those little circles in the meaty part of the squash are actually pasta waiting to happen! And it's really easy:

Instructions for Spaghetti Squash

Rinse squash and cut it in half the long way. Place both halves open-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Roast at 350* for about 60 minutes. Squash is done when softly pokable with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Scoop out the stringy, seedy part in the middle of the squash and discard (unless you wish to save the seeds for roasting). Now, use a fork to loosen the spaghetti-like strands from the fleshy part of the squash. It should all come out, leaving an empty husk (see below). Now you have a heap of pastasquash to do with as you see fit!

But wait! There's more! You don't have to throw out the husks of any winter squash. Instead, you can make squash cookies, as my friends Arhia and Myer introduced me to last Thanksgiving. These little morsels are chewy and succulent, and are great over rice and/or with some sort of tahini/mustard/miso sauce.

Squash Cookies

Instructions

Cut the rind of the erstwhile squash into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and spread out on a baking sheet. You may also add: rosemary or cumin seeds, leftover squash seeds, walnuts, crushed garlic, etc. You may also roast other vegetables at the same time. Roast at 400* for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash begins to brown.