GROW YOUR OWN SPAGHETTI

Spaghetti squash may only recently have come to our attention because of the low-carb revolution, but it is an heirloom vegetable from China that is now available from RAW seeds.

The green squash turns golden yellow when ripe (about 110 days from planting) and its flesh consists of long, translucent strings that resemble pasta. It is easier to extract the flesh from cooked squash as the skins are hard. Bake (40 minutes) or boil (about 20 minutes), then cut open remove the seeds and shred out the flesh with a fork. It has a mild squash flavour and a slight crunch.

A helping of spaghetti squash has about 40 calories compared to the 220 calories of an equivalent portion of pasta. Spaghetti squash has spreading growth that needs a lot of room if grown along the ground, but it can equally be grown upwards as it has self-clinging tendrils, making it suitable for small gardens. Like other squash it needs sun, fertile soil and regular watering.

For more information visit Seed is available from garden centres and hardware stores.