Spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pep var. fastigata) is a type of winter squash often used as a substitute for pasta. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that’s perfect with olive oil and tomato-based sauces. When cooked, the fibrous flesh gets stringy, resembling strands of spaghetti.

Although cooking with spaghetti squash is different than cooking with pasta, with the right preparation methods, spaghetti squash is a fine replacement that also offers some vitamins and minerals that you may not get from pasta made with flour, along with fewer calories and carbohydrates.