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I’m going to start out by just saying…this is delicious! Like many of you, I’m always trying to find healthy alternatives to some traditional meals. I’ve done a lot of dishes replacing rice and pasta with the more nutritional spaghetti squash. It has less calories and less carbs and it works well because it takes on the flavors of the rest of the dish just as rice and pasta do. I treat it as a “starch”, substituting it as a base for the dish rather than as a side vegetable.
There are a few steps to this recipe. Like any good paella, it tastes better if the components are treated separately to preserve their individual flavors and then combined towards the end to marry it all.
The squash. I find the squash too hard to halve without some cooking so I pierce it with a fork and put it in the microwave. After 5 minutes, it begins to soften and then I halve it and remove as many of the seeds as I can (there’s always more when you start forking it later). It then gets baked face down with a little water in the pan at 350 for about a half-hour until it is tender.
Seafood. Separately, I seared the scallops and shrimp in a hot pan with olive oil. Removed and set them aside. In the same pan, I sauted the calamari. All had been seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika.
The clams. I steamed the clams with a clove of garlic and a squeezed lemon wedge until they opened. 
Building the paella:
Finishing Touch. For me (always!) the finishing touch for any paella is a squeeze of fresh lemon. Sometimes a splash of hot sauce.
Other spaghetti squash dishes on Foodalogue.
17 Comments
Such a fantastic idea using spaghetti squash instead of rice.
I like this idea Joan…the presentation is beautiful!
A very unique and delicious paella! What a great idea to use spaghetti squash!
Recipes like this are one of the reasons I love reading your blog, you are so inventive and talented and I like how you recreate traditional recipes into amazing new flavor combinations.
It’s like a Fideua but without the pasta. Very nice amiga. Off to my party…..
Spaghetti squash are now available at the farmers market. I love the way you use them Joan so I think I better pick up several and bring them home.
Thanks, Val – I’d love to see what you come up with.
Tres bien. Sorry I have been commenting in French at another site and it took a sec for my English to kick back in! But I was so excited by this recipe. I very much agree with you about using spaghetti squash in the main event. I eat it that way because it’s great. If it’s also healthy well then, tout le mieux!
what a brilliant idea! I will never be able to give up rice but I would gladly enjoy this with spaghetti squash any day!
WOW! Outstanding paella, colorful and yummy looking. So with you on technique of cooking separately and recombine. Love “marrying flavors”, you’re so good with words.
Have to try that spaghetti squash again. You make such creative dishes. And yummy too!
Thanks…it’s really all in the seasonings.
Innovative. Love it!
Fabulously layered dish. Love all the flavors.
Awesome photos as well.
Great job!
This does look delicious! I love the idea of using spaghetti squash and avoid the starch.
I love squash- it tastes great and it’s healthy, too! Have you ever tried squash pear soup? It’s awesome!
No, I haven’t. Do you have recipe on your blog? I’ll check it out.
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