Name: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash {Ultimate Guide}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 large spaghetti squash (organic )

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Are you ready to learn How to Cook Spaghetti Squash? This is the ultimate guide to making perfect squash! Bake, slow cook, pressure cook, or use an Instant Pot. Plus learn my tips & tricks for freezing spaghetti squash.

We LOVE spaghetti squash at our house! I hope this How to Cook Spaghetti Squash {Ultimate Guide} recipe inspires you to use more squash this fall & even freeze some for use later.

Spaghetti squash has a mild enough flavor that it goes unnoticed in casseroles, makes an excellent substitute for noodles, & is a great alternative to eating heavy grain-based pasta in the evenings.

So lets jump right into how to make perfect, easy, & healthy spaghetti squash! You’ll need to decide if you prefer to cook the squash whole or if you like to cut it in half beforehand. You can seriously do either one & it will turn out great!

Personally, I prefer to cut the squash in half. I find that I can fit more in a cooker at one time, which works well since I like to freeze squash for later. Tips for cutting squash without chopping a finger off:

Use a sharp knife
Use a big knife (I use this Forged Chef’s Knife)
Carefully insert the tip of the knife through the skin then move your hands out of the way.
Press the knife into the squash until it is wedged securely & then (with your hands still out of the way) lift the squash & knife up together (remember, they are wedged together!) and bring it down swift & hard onto the cutting board in a chopping motion.
I find that 1-2 good hits on the cutting board with the wedged knife yields a squash splitting easily into two halves.

If you have a toddler nearby, I recommend NOT letting them scoop the seeds out. It resulted in a huge mess; that spoon was like a catapult! My one-year-old zoomed over & started eating the raw seeds, so then I was simultaneously digging seeds out of her mouth while trying to pick slippery seeds up off the floor and halt the catapult process.

Once you have removed the seeds (or not—if you choose to cook the squash whole), then decide on the method you would like to use:

Bake: 45 minutes (yields a nice roasted flavor)
Slow Cook: 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low
Pressure Cooker: 12 minutes once it begins to whistle (extra moisture which is nice for Mostaccioli)
Instant Pot: 12 minutes at high pressure (also yields extra moisture which can be strained off if desired)

Whether you decide to cut the squash beforehand or leave it whole during the cooking process, you’re going to want a pair of these super-handy silicone hand protectors.

When we went to visit my family in May, my mom gave me these hot pink silicone “oven mitts.” I remember thinking they were silly. My dad was teasing her about having yet another kitchen gadget amongst a gazillion others. But then I watched her pull a STEAMING hot squash out of the pressure cooker and scoop out its meat without burning her hands (cloth mitts soak up that hot steam/water so fast; I’ve burnt my hands several times over the years). That is when I realized these little (like probably <$5) hand protectors were going to be nothing short of AMAZING. 🙂

You can freeze spaghetti squash? Say what? YEEESSSS!

Great in casseroles
Batch cooking saves time & dishes later

Just wait for the squash to cool completely and then scoop it into quart-sized freezer bags. I like to double bag mine because sometimes (or pretty much all the time) I overstuff the bags. Make sure to lay the squash bag flat in the freezer until it’s frozen solid so that you end up with a nice flat, frozen brick, which affords a more organized freezer.

Details of exactly how to cook via all 4 methods (bake, slow cooker, pressure cooker, Instant Pot) plus how to freeze are below.

Enjoy!! – Rashele, BSN, RN, CEN

Don’t forget to save this How to Cook Spaghetti Squash {Ultimate Guide} to your favorite Pinterest board for later!

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash {Ultimate Guide}

Are you ready to learn How to Cook Spaghetti Squash? This is the ultimate guide to making perfect squash! Bake, slow cook, pressure cook, or use an Instant Pot. Plus learn my tips & tricks for freezing spaghetti squash.

Course Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Author Rashele Birmingham

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash organic

Instructions

How to Cut Squash in Half (without losing a finger)

Use a big, sharp knife (Forged Chef's Knife).
Carefully insert the tip of the knife through the skin then move your hands out of the way. Press the knife into the squash until it is wedged securely & then (with your hands still out of the way) lift the squash & knife up together (remember, they are wedged together!) and bring it down swift & hard onto the cutting board in a chopping motion. I find that 1-2 good hits on the cutting board with the wedged knife yields a squash splitting easily into two halves.
Using a large spoon, scoop the seeds out of the squash before cooking the squash.

Bake Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a glass or stone pan with avocado oil, refined coconut oil, tallow, or lard.
To bake whole: prick the squash all over, place on a cookie sheet or stone bar pan. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan & bake for 60 minutes (turning the squash over half way through).
To bake halves: place facedown on a cookie sheet or stone bar pan. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan & bake for 45-50 minutes or until soft.

Slow Cooker or Crockpot

To slow cook whole: prick the squash all over, place inside slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup water to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
To slow cook halves: place squash halves in slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup water to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Pressure Cooker

To pressure cook whole: prick the squash all over, place inside the pressure cooker. Use the minimum amount of water required by the manufacturer or the pressure cooker. Once the cooker is up to pressure and "whistling" then set a timer & cook the squash for 15 minutes.
To pressure cook halves: place inside the pressure cooker. Use the minimum amount of water required by the manufacturer or the pressure cooker. Once the cooker is up to pressure and "whistling" then set a timer & cook the squash for 15 minutes.

Instant Pot

Instant Pot whole: prick the squash all over, place inside the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup water to the pot. Use manual settings for high pressure x 15 minutes.
Instant Pot halves: place inside the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup water to the pot. Use manual settings for high pressure x 12 minutes.

How to Scoop out the Squash Meat

Either wait until the squash is cool enough to handle or pick up a pair of handy silicone hand protectors.

How to Freeze Spaghetti Squash

Once cooled, scoop squash into quart sized (freezer quality) plastic bags. Lie flat to freeze. Keeps for 3-6 months in the freezer. Thaw before using.

Tools used to make this recipe (click photo to learn more):

9 x 13 glass pan: If you don’t own a stone bar pan then a glass 9 x 13 pan will work just fine for baking. Be sure to oil the pan with avocado oil, refined coconut oil, lard, or tallow prior to putting the squash in the pan.
Slow Cooker: I have the Crockpot, which is an inexpensive slow cooker.
Pressure Cooker: I have used a plain old stainless steel pressure cooker for the last 10 years and it certainly gets the job done. It is durable & lasts forever.
Instant Pot: My husband got me the 8 quart Instant Pot for my birthday & I am loving it. I hope it holds up to many years of use because I use it ALL THE TIME! My favorite part about it is that the Instant Pot is quiet (no whistling!).