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I live in Singapore and there seems to be no squashes, of the type that I typically see in Spaghetti Squash recipes, sold here.

Can I use pumpkin as a substitute? If I put it in an oven and use fork to make the spaghetti strands, will it work and have the same texture?

catandmouse
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  • I don't think so, it does not shred into strands like the spaghetti squash. – Max Jul 17 '17 at 15:55
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    Very different texture. The texture of spaghetti squash that allows it to be used this way is fairly unique. Most pumpkin/winter squash if got to pull this way would simply be stringy. You likely can however find recipes that would let you incorporate some pumpkin into extruded or rolled noodles, but a more difficult process and different product. – dlb Jul 17 '17 at 16:26

3 Answers3

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You will not be able to follow a real spaghetti squashh recipe with pumpkin. If you try to gouge it with a fork, you will get grooved pumpkin.

My suggestion would be to use a spiralizer. Cut the raw pumpkin into pieces which are suitable for your spiralizer, and make pumpkin-spaghetti out of it. Then steam them. The taste should be pretty comparable to spaghetti squash, although you will spend more time in prep.

rumtscho
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No, pumpkin will not shred the way spaghetti squash does. That's pretty much distinctive to the spaghetti squash, and I don't know of any substitute.

The flavor is generically squashy, so if you were to serve a sauce on top of a slice of pumpkin or cubed pumpkin it would taste just fine. Not the same, but similar enough to be edible. The texture will be different, and to really get the dish the way the recipe designer intended, you'd need to lay your hands on a spaghetti squash.

So, if the sauce has a really interesting flavor you want to try, go ahead and prepare it, then serve it with pumpkin prepared any way you like. (The easiest way is to cut it into slices or chunks and roast at 350F/170C until soft; there are lots and lots of variations on that basic idea.) If you like it enough to try again, maybe you'll locate a spaghetti squash; they're easy to grow and you may be able to push your local grocer into carrying them.

Joshua Engel
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Yes, at least with modifications! I was carving pumpkins like we do every year, and the bits we scrape out are often long strands. I separated those from the chunks (holes cut through for eyes etc) and the gooey, seedy bits. Then I tried boiling, and pan-frying the long strands. I didn’t use much as I was just doing a sample, but I did prefer the pan-fried/sautéed version. So if you have a raw pumpkin, open it, scrape out the seeds & their wet matrix, and THEN get the remaining strands separated (I was scraping with a large ladle-like spoon), you can indeed cook these and use them like pasta, similar to spaghetti squash. I do not know about cooking a pumpkin and then trying to get the strands; I imagine that would be too mushy, but haven’t tried.

Anna
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