Here is an easy recipe for teriyaki squash pasta that utilizes a pasta substitute of yellow summer squash ribbons. The taste and texture of the ribbons may surprise you if you haven't tried them before.
I love Asian food and it's hard to resist the delicious sweet sauces. However, they can be a hidden source for a tremendous amount of carbohydrates and sugar. The mild flavor of the squash allows a small amount of teriyaki sauce to take center stage. I like this recipe with roasted shelled pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas). If you don't have those handy, try one of your favorite nuts or seeds in this recipe.
Bottled teriyaki sauces vary. The particular store brand I use has 35 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 590 mg sodium, 7 grams carbohydrate, and 7 grams sugar per tablespoon.
"Standard" ready-to-serve teriyaki sauce has 16 grams calories, 0 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 690 milligrams sodium, 2.8 grams carbohydrate, and 2.5 grams sugar per tablespoon. Make sure to pay attention to the nutritional information because some may have high calories and carbohydrates.
This recipe can be used as a main dish or served on the side. I personally love having it with salmon. Try to move through the cooking steps quickly so the squash does not overcook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium yellow summer squash
- 1/4 cup roasted shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp bottled teriyaki sauce
- 1/8 tsp Asian fresh ground chili paste (optional)
- Cooking spray
Preparation:
Using a potato peeler, peel off pasta-size strips of squash (avoid the seedy center). For details, read how to make and cook pasta substitute with squash.
Spray a pan with cooking spray and allow the pan to get hot over medium-high heat.
Add the pumpkin seeds and stir for a few seconds to allow them to get a little toasted. Do not let them burn. Remove from pan.
Add half the squash (cooking too much squash at once will make it mushy). Saute for 1-2 minutes or until squash is almost to desired tenderness (I prefer al dente or slighlty firm and chewy). If the squash releases too much moisture, pour out some of the juice while cooking. Remove squash from pan.
Saute the remaining squash. Add the teriyaki sauce, chili paste if you are using, and pumpkin seeds while cooking. Because of the variance in bottled teriyaki sauces, add more or less to your taste. A little will go a long way. Just before the squash is done, remove from heat. Gently stir in the first batch of squash. Enjoy.
Per Serving
- 116 calories
- 6.5 g fat
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 472 mg sodium
- 10.1 g carbohydrate
- 2.7 g fiber
- 4.7 g sugar
- 7.9 g protein
