Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

Growing up, our family would carve pumpkins for Halloween. It’s a fun tradition enjoyed by a lot of families! Driving around during October and seeing all the creations puts a smile on my face! But this year, all over social media, the big trend seemed to be painting and decorating the exterior of the pumpkin! Of course, this brings a whole new level of creativity and pumpkin viewing into play. And… you get to skip the mess of scooping out the pumpkin guts… yuck!

When I was younger, the pumpkin guts didn’t bother me because it meant one thing – roasted pumpkin seeds!! I would separate the seeds from the goop and my mom would roast the seeds for a delicious, lightly salted snack! That was definitely the inspiration behind this venture!

I made spaghetti squash last week, and after gutting it, I looked at the seeds and reminisced about the pumpkin seeds from my childhood. Knowing we weren’t carving pumpkins this year, I decided to try my hand at roasting these spaghetti squash seeds instead! And wow – I’m so glad I did! They have the perfect snap to them! And they satisfy that craving for a little salty snack – without reaching for the chip bag!

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If you’ve gotten to the point of roasting the seeds, I’m going to assume you already have a pile of Spaghetti Squash guts in a bowl! So my directions below are after that point. If you still have a whole, ‘unopened’ spaghetti squash in front of you, check out how to roast the actual squash HERE!

DIRECTIONS

1. Your oven should already be at 400 degrees. (Assuming your squash is currently roasting! See above paragraph.)
2. Separate the seeds from the pulp.
3. Rinse the seeds under cool water until any remaining stringy pulp is removed.
4. Pat dry with a paper towel.
5. Put in a bowl and toss with olive oil until lightly covered.
6. Spread out on a nonstick baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. (I’m not going to specify an amount – salt to your heart’s content!)
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Stir/flip halfway through.
8. The seeds are done when they’ve browned.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool.
10. Use a spatula to transfer the seeds to a bowl, and serve them up as a healthy snack!

Enjoy a healthy, no-guilt snack packed with nutrition! I hope this brings back some fond memories for you or helps you start making new ones! If you have kids, have them help separate the seeds from the pulp – it can be a fun and gooey adventure!

Tag @lactating_coconuts on Instagram with a photo of your Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds! I’d love to hear about your memories of roasting squash or pumpkin seeds!