Rather than bulking up on another plate-full of predictable pasta, swimming in bottled marinara, and bound to make you comatose before long, why not go out on a limb and try something very different that looks pretty much the same.

Spaghetti squash is that sad yellow Nerf ball in the produce section, often looked-over or misunderstood. But don't be afraid - these squash are available in fall, winter and through mid-spring, plus they are a breeze to cook.

Just pop one of these squash in the over for 45 minutes on 325-degrees, let it cool, peel off the skins and throw the seeds in the compost heap (or rinse them, pop them back in the oven with a few shakes of sea salt and they're as good a pumpkin seeds), and you are good to go.

The "pasta" is already in little yellow-ish spirals of strands that can be beautiful on the plate if you handle them with a little delicacy.

Top them with crumbles of goat cheese, good olive oil, and fresh parsley, OR a little maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and toasted pecans, OR that good old stand-by, canned marinara. I recommend Rao's with no additives or preservatives, and Moretti's Organic Marinara if you can't make your own or have already run out of your owned canned sauce from last summer's bounty like I have.

Et Voila - Pasta without any grain, any at all. Delish!