expanding my horizons: spaghetti squash

I recently tried spaghetti squash for the first time.  I had stopped at Whole Foods for a certain item and decided to grab something from the salad bar.  I saw a cold salad made with spaghetti squash, feta cheese, tomatoes, basil, and peppers.  My mother and my sister always said how good it is, so I figured I'd see what the hype is about.  It was really good and I liked that the squash was a bit crunchy.

 

I then decided I should try making it myself.  It would be a good way to get more vegetables and have something different for a change.  I bought one squash at the grocery store last week; I figured I wouldn't waste too much money if I didn't like it. I wanted to duplicate the Whole Foods salad, but I also wanted to try it hot; I'd heard it can be served similar to spaghetti.  I decided I'd use half of it for the salad and half for serving hot.

 

I cooked it the other night and it was so easy to cook!  All I did was put it in a baking pan and cook it uncovered at 375 for about an hour. When finished, I let it cool a bit.  I then cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and then raked the insides with a fork.  What I got was something that looks like spaghetti, but thinner. Very easy. I put some in a container and stuck it in the fridge.  I'll make the salad either tonight or tomorrow night.

 

I took the hot portion and mixed in butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.  It was very easy.  It tasted good, but I'm not sure I'd eat it hot again. If I did it would need to be mixed with some stronger seasonings or maybe some meat and veggies. It's a very mild squash, so it needs a bit of dressing up.

 

So, anyone have any suggestions for dressing this up a bit?  Or do you have a favorite sold spaghetti squash salad you like?