How to Cook Spahetti Squash

I love spaghetti squash.  It's a great vegetable that when cooked looks like spaghetti, but has no carbs.  You can use spaghetti squash the same way you would use regular spaghetti!

Choose a good spaghetti squash by looking for one that is about 8 or 9 inches long, 4 or 5 inches in diameter, heavy for its size, and is an even pale color.  You can get about 5 cups of the spaghetti squash "noodles" from an average 4-pound spaghetti squash.

There are several ways to cook a spaghetti squash:

1)  Boil the spaghetti squash.  In a pot large enough to hold the whole spaghetti squash, boil enough water to cover the squash.  Add the squash to the water when it is boiling and cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your squash.  The spaghetti squash is cooked when you can easily insert a fork into the flesh.

This might sound really easy, but I found that the squash floated and thus did not cook evenly very easy.  Next time I'm going to try baking it.

2)  Bake the spaghetti squash.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Place the squash cut-sides down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender enough to easily insert a fork into it.

3)  Microwave the spaghetti squash.  Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Place the squash cut-sides up in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.  Cover it with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your squash.  Cook longer if needed until the flesh is tender enough to easily insert a fork into it.  Let it stand for 5 minutes.


After cooking your spaghetti squash, you then need to scrape out the "noodles."  If you boiled your squash instead of baking or microwaving it, you will need to cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds first.  Use a fork and scrape along the flesh inside the squash and it will easily come apart looking like spaghetti noodles.  Continue to do so until all the flesh is removed from the skin.

You are now ready to add sauce or use your "noodles" in your favorite spaghetti recipe.