How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

There are several ways to prepare your Spaghetti Squash. You can cook it in the Microwave, your Instant Pot (aka Pressure Cooker), Slow Cooker or bake it in the oven. The microwave is obviously the quickest way but I prefer to bake mine in the oven.

I prefer to bake mine so the spaghetti strands don't get too mushy. When you microwave or pressure cook your spaghetti squash it basically steams the squash causing it to be mushier than if you roast it in the oven. If this doesn’t bother you, by all means, use whatever method works best for you!

When roasting the spaghetti squash in the oven, you can either leave it whole, cut it in half or cut it into medallions (donut shape). For the longest time, I would cut the squash lengthwise, but this results in shorter strands because of the direction the strands run inside the squash. If the length of the noodles isn't important to you, cut it (or not) however you want.

Once the squash is cut, make sure you remove all the seeds from the squash. If cut in half, a spoon will work best. If you cut yours into medallions it might be a little easier to use a small paring knife to remove the seeds.

Before cooking the squash, I like to sprinkle a little sea salt on the flesh to help draw out some of the moisture. Just let it sit for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Hopefully this little tutorial on How to Cook Spaghetti Squash was helpful. For more helpful tutorials like this one, make sure you check out my assortment of How-To Articles.

Now that you know how to cook Spaghetti Squash, I suggest you try my Spaghetti Squash with Peppers and Beans, my Sriracha Spaghetti Squash with Turkey and my Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash recipes.

Microwave Method

Place the squash halves in a microwave-safe dish. Place the squash cut side down in the dish and pour about 1" of water into the bottom of the dish. Place in microwave and cook on high for 20 minutes or until you can poke through the outer skin easily with a fork.

Instant Pot Method

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add a cup of water. Place the squash halves on top of the trivet and secure the lid. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Do a quick pressure release once done cooking.

Slow Cooker Method

Wash the outside of the squash and dry. With a fork or a small sharp knife, poke several holes all over the outside of the squash. Cover the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours. It's done cooking when a knife or fork easily pierces the outer skin. Let the squash cool before cutting.

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How to Roast Spaghetti Squash

Learn How to cook a Spaghetti Squash 4 different ways. My preference is to roast my Spaghetti Squash in the oven at 425°F.

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time30 mins

Rest Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• Coarse sea salt
• olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly. Set aside.
• Use a serrated knife to slice the spaghetti squash in half crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle the inside of the halves very lightly with olive oil and season with sea salt. Let sit for 15 minutes to release some of the water in the squash.
• Place the spaghetti squash halves onto the lined baking sheet, cut side down. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the skin pierces easily with a knife or fork.
• Remove from the oven and let the squash rest on the pan (open side down) until cool to the touch. Use a fork to remove the noodles from the skin.

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