Showing you how to cook spaghetti squash- the EASY way! Roast it whole, so you can avoid cutting through a rock hard spaghetti squash, or mangling your hand while scooping the seeds out.
Spaghetti squash. Love eating it, hate cutting it. And scooping it. And how it can end up soggy sometimes. Well, today I’m sharing my method for how to cook spaghetti squash whole, and let me tell you, it is the EASIEST way to do it, and you end up with perfectly cooked (non soggy) spaghetti squash noodles!
A few months ago, I shared my method for cooking a whole spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot, so it should come as no surprise it’s my go-to method for oven cooked spaghetti squash as well!
By cooking your spaghetti squash whole, you avoid cutting through a rock hard spaghetti squash, and it’s so much easier to scoop out the seeds once it’s cooked, too!
Not only that, but you avoid over-steamed, mushy spaghetti squash noodles. They are perfectly cooked, not mushy but tender and with the perfect amount of bite to them.
Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Why we love cooking spaghetti squash this way
- you don’t need to cut into the raw squash (which is really hard to do!)
- it is easy to cut & scoop once it has cooled slightly
- your spaghetti squash noodles end up perfectly cooked, and if you cut it the right way, you’ll get nice, long noodles!
How to cook spaghetti squash
You will find a million tutorials for cooking a spaghetti squash, and most of them involve cutting the squash in half lengthwise, scooping the seeds out, and baking in a dish with some water.
This is how I used to cook my spaghetti squash, and it worked fine. But I hated cutting the raw squash in half (even with a good chef’s knife I found this difficult and dangerous to do), and my noodles ended up short (because I was cutting the noodles in half by cutting the squash in half lengthwise).
- poke a few holes in the squash
- put it on a sheet pan and bake in the oven
- when a knife inserts easily (after approximately 1 hour for a 2 lb squash), cool the squash for 10-15 min
- cut squash in half (across the squash, not horizontally!), cool a few more min, then scoop the seeds out
- work the noodles out from the squash and voila! You are done!
What temperature do I use for cooking spaghetti squash in the oven? I recommend 350°F.
How long do you need to cook it? This is going to depend on the size of your spaghetti squash. The average spaghetti squash that I purchase from the grocery store are just over 2 lbs and they take me just over an hour to cook.
How can you tell when your spaghetti squash is done? I use a paring knife and sink it into the top of the squash. If you feel resistance, it is not ready. If it sinks in easily, it is ready to come out.
How do you cut a spaghetti squash? Once your squash has cooled slightly, cut it in half in the middle of the squash (as pictured above). Because the ‘noodles’ wrap around the inside of the squash, if you cut it into two ‘boats’, you are cutting the strands in half, and you’ll just get short noodles. Cutting in the middle will give you nice, long noodles.
How long does spaghetti squash keep for? In the pantry (pre-cooking), a LONG time! Months. Once cooked, spaghetti squash can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you are adding a sauce, it can make the spaghetti squash noodles watery, which reduces their lifespan. I recommend keeping sauce & noodles separate until you are ready to serve.
Can you freeze cooked spaghetti squash? Yes, you can freeze it! I definitely softens and leaks some liquid after thawing so if you are going to freeze I recommend
- undercooking it slightly
- re-heating in a pan so the moisture evaporates
Use it up!
- Low Carb Lasagna Skillet
- Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash (which I would cook as directed in this post rather than follow the directions in the lemon chicken post)
- This Mexican Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- This Meal Prep Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs
- We love spaghetti squash tossed in pesto, or with chili spooned over top
- These Spaghetti Squash Fries look delicious
- so does this Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
- and this Skillet Spaghetti Squash Pizza
Watch the video below to see exactly how to prep and cook it. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Tips and equipment
- I recommend a good quality sheet pan like this one, and a good chef’s knife
to cut it in half once it’s cooked - Looking for more How To Posts? Check out How to Cook Salmon, How to Cook Quinoa and How to Cut an Avocado (and not your hand)
to cut it in half once it’s cooked
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (2-3 lbs)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Place spaghetti squash on a baking sheet and poke with a paring knife.
- Roast spaghetti squash whole until a paring knife sinks in easily. Around 60 minutes for a 2 lb squash and 90 minutes for a 3 lb squash.
- Cool for 15 minutes, then slice squash in half across the middle.
- Carefully scoop seeds out (you may want to let the squash cool further before doing so), then use a fork to gently pull the noodles from around the spaghetti squash.
- Enjoy immediately, or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
