Saturday, March 15, 2014

Spaghetti Squash Ribs

The texture of oven-roasted spaghetti squash has always bothered me a little bit. It's softer than spaghetti and always a little watery. I was pondering other ways to handle this vegetable when it hit me. The way it pulls apart -- okay, humor me here -- seems similar to a brisket or pork shoulder. I started to wonder what it would be like grilled and slathered with BBQ sauce. It's not an uncommon thing for this particular BBQ-loving Southerner to ponder. 

So, how was it? The answer is awesome…just awesome. 

We're calling them ribs for a variety of reasons: they're the same shape as little rib bones; it's fun to pick them up and eat them with your hands; and it's a messy good time. Seriously, this would be a fun thing to throw on the table at a party or to serve as a main dish at a picnic. People are always asking us what to serve vegetarians at a cookout. Here's a pretty cool answer.

Spaghetti Squash Ribs

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon TCV Memphis Dry Rub
1 cup BBQ sauce (warmed)

Preheat your outdoor grill to high. Using a serrated peeler or a sharp knife and plenty of caution, peel the squash. Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch slices and discard the ends. On a large sheet pan, toss sliced squash with the canola and sesame oil and then the dry rub until it's well coated.

Grill slices of squash for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through and well-marked by the grill. Arrange slices of squash on a plate and brush with BBQ sauce. Serve more sauce on the side for dipping and some Purple Cabbage Slaw(Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as an appetizer.)

7 comments:

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar said...

Oh my goodness, this is such a genius idea! Love it!

JFloColman said...

this is genius!! and it looks so good!

Kendy P said...

awesome! those look so good!

lacochran's evil twin said...

How creative!

Phood said...

My vegetarian friend made these for dinner last night, and when he told me what he was making, i was hugely skeptical. Consider me converted- they were fantastic and surprisingly satisfying- this is coming from a passionate meat eater, too!

Anonymous said...

Is it necessary to peel the squash? If you grill it with the peel, can't the eaters treat the peel like the rib bone?

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

No real need to peel the squash if you don't want to. It'll be tasty either way!