Spaghetti squash is an oval-shaped, hard winter squash. When cooked the flesh turns into spaghetti-like strands that make a wonderful paleo substitute for pasta. The catch? Once you bring that golden gourd home, you’re left wondering how to cook spaghetti squash. Thankfully, it’s easy.
No Fancy Gadgets Needed!
When you make spaghetti squash noodles you don’t need a spiralizer or any other fancy kitchen gadgets. There are several simple ways to cook spaghetti squash. It can be cut into sections and steamed on the stove, or you can learn how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Safely and Easily
Cooking a whole, uncut spaghetti squash in the oven avoids the process of wielding a huge knife and stabbing at a giant hard squash. After it’s cooked, you can cut through the tender flesh easily and safely. The other benefit of this cooking method? When the flesh is sealed inside the squash it retains flavor and moisture. Looking for healthy paleo noodles? Look no further. Your pasta dreams are about to come true!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds
Instructions
- Place whole (uncut) spaghetti squash on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Using a fork, poke the squash twice
- Bake at 350°F for 60-80 minutes
- Allow spaghetti squash to cool for 20-30 minutes
- Cut squash open with a knife
- Using a spoon scoop out seeds
- Scrape the flesh out of the squash into stringy noodles
- Serve
Low-Carb Noodles for the Keto Diet
I make spaghetti squash noodles for myself whenever the rest of the family is eating packaged gluten-free noodles. If you like healthy spaghetti squash noodles, you’ll love my post called, Paleo Pasta: Healthy Low-Carb Swaps for Noodles, which features other healthy vegetable noodles along with their carb counts. Vegetable noodles are wonderful pasta substitute for those following a Ketogenic Diet.
Easy Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash Recipes
I often serve spaghetti squash with coconut oil and cinnamon, or with Bolognese. I also have a fabulous recipe in my latest book Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry for a Paleo Pad Thai that uses spaghetti squash noodles! And you’ll definitely want to try my low-carb, keto Mac n Cheese Skillet Casserole recipe, made from spaghetti squash!
Elle says
I have heard so much about spaghetti squash and how it’s such a great alternative to real pasta.
I have yet to try it. Surprisingly, the recipe doesn’t look as difficult as I had imagined.
Putting the entire squash in the oven first to get it soft and tender is a great tip.
I have had my share of trying to cut it raw with a knife and it can get pretty dangerous.
Nick says
Spaghetti squash is so versatile. You can cook it in different ways, cut up or whole, by baking, boiling, microwaving, or even in a crock pot. Thanks for the share!
Julie Earnest says
Elana, I LOVE your recipes and your cookbooks!!! And I cook pumpkin, kabocha squash, and spaghetti squash this way all the time….never cut in half, too hard! -BUT I have had squashes explode in the oven, so I highly recommend cutting two slits by piercing a sharp knife into the squash/pumpkin!
Best,
Juile
Clarissa says
Be sure to pierce the squash with a sharp knife in several places before baking–I had one blow up in my newly cleaned conventional oven!
kendra says
I am glad my friend recommended your website, as Gluten Free Girl refuses to make any substitutions for recipes and her food has been meh. I can’t wait to try the squash.
Judi says
This has brought back soo many memiries of my Mom I will be making some soon
Natalie Westlake- Di Sensi says
Hi , just was sent ur link for Spaghetti Squash and as my sugar numbers are a bit high I want to try this in place of Pasta, Question I have can I use Tomato sauce on it!with mybe some onions & peppers
Oge | healthy food delivery says
Hi Natalie,
Oge | healthy food delivery says
Hi Natalie (attempt 2)
Not sure if you will see this, but I know Elena cannot answer all the comments, so I thought I’d take a stab at answering your question.
Yes, you can use the spaghetti squash just like a vegetable noodle base for almost any pasta sauce, and it works pretty well. I have tried it with marinara sauce in the past it worked great, and from Elena’s comment about the Bolognese sauce at the very end of her post, I gather that must be fantastic as well. Enjoy!
Marina says
I have tried this method x2 and both times the squash was very watery and mushy not like yours in the pictures above. Any idea why?
Many thanks
MAvis Mackin says
I too love using Spaghetti squash over processed pasta. I want to share a frightening experience I had with cooking the squash. It’s so hard and frankly dangerous, to cut the squash before cooking it. I thought it might be fine to cook it in the microwave whole. I many, many holes in it before I put it in the microwave. Cut in half I’d usually bake it for 20 minutes. I hit time cook, walked away and about 15 minutes in…the door blew open, the microwave rack flew out and squash was everywhere. Needless to say I now go for the more dangerous method of cutting it in half before baking!
Heidi says
If you cut it before putting it in the oven then you only bake for 20 minutes.
I usually cut it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, put it open side down on a glass baking dish, bake on 400 for 20 minutes. Poke with a fork to make sure it is cooked through.