How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
The simplest and EASIEST way to cook spaghetti squash. And it’s such a healthy substitute to pasta – low in calories and fat!
This is the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash, hands down.
It literally takes 5 min of prep. That’s it.
Simply cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
I told you.
Five stinking minutes.
From there, depending on the size of the squash, you can let that roast for 45-60 minutes.
You’ll have the perfect strands for all your recipes.
But stay tuned. I have a garlic parmesan spaghetti squash recipe (loaded with tons of butter – DUH!) coming this week!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 2-3 pounds spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise from stem to tail and scrape out the seeds.* Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place squash, cut-side down, onto the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and roast until tender, about 35-45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
- Using a fork, scrape the flesh to create long strands.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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This to cool in a convection oven? That’s what I looked up. And it brought me to a blurb that said cook it in a connection oven. But the recipe says zero about convection oven
The same thing happened when looking up a recipe in a conventional oven. I went ahead and used the recipe as a guide. I set it to 375 degrees, and when it was to roast, I put my squash in the oven for 30 minutes, then checked my squash. I could see it wasn’t done yet, so I roasted it for an additional 10 minutes, and it came out perfectly.
Deloris back I did not use any punctuation and my meaning is I love you for what you do online all your great recipes which I only discovered 2 months ago.
Love You I have always cooked my Spaghetti Squash in the microwave and then put salt pepper and butter on it It is cut in half lengthwise of course and open side faced up. I love SS.
I make mine with fresh ginger, honey. It’s amazing.
Any idea what the nutritional values would be for this recipe? My hubby is on a low sodium/heart healthy diet and we have to watch his sodium, potassium and phosphorus levels. This sounds really good, but I couldn’t make it unless I know what those values are. Thanks
Haven’t tried any recipes . Just signed up!
I just had to give this site a 5 out of 5 rating! I gave three of the points for the recipes on how to cook spaghetti squash and, I gave the last two points for your fighting amongst each other. I was totally laughing my ass off!!!!
Nutrition facts say 4 servings, but not serving size. Is that a 1/2 Cup serving without added spices or fat, or with spices and oil or butter? I love spaghetti squash and was simply looking for time and temp until I saw the nutrition information!
Wendy, you would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the tip about microwaving for a bit to make it easier to cut. (You could’ve lead with that, LoL.) I was sure I’d remove a finger trying to cut that thing in half. So I made DH do it, he doesn’t need his fingers as bad as I do.
Ok this is going out for all the internet superfolks that get so brave when not standing face to face! NOW! easy to cut? You can nuke it if you want to but try a sharp knife or a serrated bread knife. The later is good for more than just breads. It ain,t pasta so don’t ruin it with tomato sauces. Give it love it with coarse salt ground pepper and real butter. Face down but up, no seeds at 375F for 45-50 mins. When done use a fork to separate the strands,gently. plate it with a juicy pork chop and garnish with parsley and chives. See that didnt hurt, my gosh! All comments will self destruct in 5 seconds
I put the entire squash on our charcoal grill after dinner for that night is done and coals are still hot. Pull it off and stick in fridge to cut open when I’m ready to have it for a meal.
Can you cook Spaghetti Squash on the grill?
I have never tried it on the grill so I can’t really say. But please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try! 🙂
Let you know how it turns out serving with spaghetti sauce!!
I just made this recipe, thanks for great directions. I didn’t think I was going to like Spaghetti Squash, it just didn’t seem like it would really replace awesome pasta. I made a really small one and the directions were perfect. Thanks!
NICE, Single,… Red Neck Father of 3 boys here to get a recipe for spaghetti squash so I can supplement there meaty diets. First time on this site, not only did I get a simple recipe but killed a few min reading the garbage, Lol
I blew up facebook years back because of the same kind of crap I read here today.
Step away from the computer, get back in the kitchen or go outside and go do something.
Good Grief
Wow, first and last time I am on this site.
I would hope the owner could have deleted the unnecessary posts, of which there are too many.
And yes, i know there were spelling errors. Par for the course when using the keypad on my phone. I’ll survive. So will you.
Lol. Thank you for all the wonderful advice. Tonight is tge first time im trying this. Knowing me, ive decided nuke it, cut it, bake it will work just fine.
For those concerned with wordiness, perhaps an outline of appropriate word counts or senrence counts would help.
For those concerned about microwaves, you forgot to mention the fact that there may be microphones in them. Of course, I’m typing this in my phone and there are the electro-magnetic waves from them to be concerned about, so i thought of mail, but no address, and pigeons, face it, are just too messy. And well…. husbands… no no no no (garlic, crucifixes and all that cross that off my list) . So… weighing my personal clumsiness against all that other stuff, im thinking the microwave is the safest. Thanks all…tge combination of good entertainment and good advice is greatly appreciated
Hello. I can’t eat a large amount of anything. Have quite a few spaghetti squash. If I cook them, can I put them in a freezer bag [in the amount I can eat] and flatten bag out then freeze them? [that way I can stack them in the freezer] Do you think they’ll be ok when I thaw them?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Thanks Girl. I’ll try a little
bag, [that sounded bad] freeze it, thaw it & check it out. Should not take but a day or two. If it’s ok, I’ll keep you posted
If you have a hard time cutting the squash, place a sharp knife horizontally across the squash… With another knife, use the handle and tap the end of the knife cutting the squash…. It takes all the difficulty out of the task… You may also use a small hammer to do this… Hope this helps
Did It… Was Easy… Tasted Great…
“And That’s All I Have To Say About That”…
I use a pressure cooker for my Squash, 8 minutes and it is done. Can also use crockpot if not in a hurry
Please make sure you cut in half as my mother made slits in the skin and when she took it out of the oven the squash exploded and received burns on face, arms and body. Please be cautious when cooking.
I use an axe to split the squash… Easy and does not require 5 minutes in microwave
I made this tonight and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Adding veggies to the pasta will bulk it up, add nutrients and make the pasta prettier. My favorite is frozen spinach.
The absolute easiest way to cut the spaghetti squash in half is to use a wooden hammer. If you’ve been to a seafood restaurant, the wooden hammers they give you to crack crab claws works wonderfully. Point the knife tip in the squash, pull down and then use the hammer to hit the back side of the knife. It pushes the knife through the squash in seconds. I saw this on a youtube video and it really works ! Try it out…..
Why are so many moms, wives, ladies, etc. fighting over Spaghetti Sauce! These comments are a perfect example of why our country is going to hell in a hand basket! Geesh can’t we all get along. It’s a recipe, which is usually a basis to start and versatile so you make it your own. Plus ancestors from other countries bring with them their recipes and it’s past down through generations so everyone does it different there’s no right or wrong! Everyone cook your Squash your way, gather ideas from others and enjoy! It’s that simple! Any act of kindness no matter how small never goes unnoticed! Peace , Love & Harmony!!
Here in Texas, we just sit the spaghetti squash on a fence post and then shoot it. Then we roast the pieces over the cowboy campfire… 🙂
I am planning on making this for a dinner that I am doing. It says I need 4 cups of spaghetti squash. Is 1 squash enough to get 4 cups out of it? I have never cooked it before so I’m not sure.
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. A 4-pound squash will typically yield about 5 cups.
GROW UP TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING EVER GOOD TO SAY!!!!
JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE SOOOOO MISERABLE WITH YOUR LIFE, LEAVE YOUR JUVENILE COMMENTS TO YOUR WEAK SELF!!!! GET OFF LINE AND TRY DOING THIS YOURSELF!! AND>>>> GET A LIFE!!!!!!
Amazing recipe, thank you! Love your website.
Jesus, I just wanted to know the best way to cook it and how others found that this way worked (my reason for reading the comments)…get a life people and stop creating controversy and belittling over a recipe. Do you not have enough real things to argue about these days?
Hmm.
I love this idea…. but can it be boiled instead of roasted? Also, this doesn’t look like the squash I’m used to… looks more like a pumpkin? (I’m from Australia, if that helps.)
I’ve actually never tried boiling!
I thought spaghetti squash was very low in carbs. Close to zero ? I am on a very strict no carb diet. Not to lose weight, a weird health issue I have. (which I hate. I love carbs more then I realized) Potatoes, pasta and chocolate were my main food groups. lol. I make this A LOT. 20 carbs is my max and I eat half of one for a meal quite frequently.
Input ? This recipe says it’s 4 servings with 19 carbs per serving. Yikes for me !
Thanks.
Spaghetti squash is awesome recipe. I will prepare it for my family asap <3
Hello, this is for those of you that say it is hard to cut the squash……I am a not so strong grannie, and my friendly produce clerk in the store I always shop in…..CUTS the squash for me and wraps it too….so you might try asking
someone in the produce dept where YOU shop to please cut it for you….I did and they DID.
Hope this tip helps.
What a marvelous suggestion! Thanks for the FABULOUS tip (after I just struggled to hack mine in half)
It never occured to me. I will definitely ask my green grocer to halve mine next time I shop
Thanks, super easy and delish. Cooked up in the toaster oven in 30 mins. Love it!
Ok I have never tried to make spaghetti squash so I was interested in this article and
video, but with all the
different opinions and comments (good and some nasty) I still don’t know which is the best way to cook it (whole or halved) and
once it is cooked what is the best way to serve it? Please give me some positive and helpful instructions.
Thanks you.
Looks amazing! love the creativity (:
Is everybody still pre-/post-Christmas tense??? Lighten up folks! I’m an old fart (75) and can still cut a squash – any kind – without cutting off the ends first. Just use a SHARP knife. Settle it into the skin of the squash and then, hit the handle of the knife decisively with the heel of your hand. Wiggle the knife forward and back and keep hitting until you get through it. No probs! A saw sounds fine, but requires more biceps strength than some folks have. Sharpening your knives is the answer. If you can’t slice them through a sheet of paper held in the air, they’re DULL! Dull knives will still cut you. Give sharp knives (and all tools) the respect they deserve and no accidents result. Taught this to my 3 year old son many moons ago. He now does the same with his daughters.
And if you want to nag and nit-pick, try a news/gossip site. Foodies are looking for helpful comments and information, not arguments!
My grocer will also cut it in two with their buzz saw. Sometimes, I only buy half!elizabeth, this is a great plan!
BTW- this is the strangest group of postings I’ve ever observed! Who would imagine spaghetti squash would be the subject? It never fails to surprise me how many, many people’s ideas oppose mine. Makes me want to be more careful out in the public!
I love spaghetti squash but through trial and error, I found it best to roast it with the cut side up. In my past experiences, I found that roasting it with the cut side down “steams” it too much and it is mushy. When I roast it cut side up, it is more “al-dente” and comes out perfect….just sayin’
What is wrong with these internet trolls? Can’t wait to eat this tonight- THANK YOU!
I can’t wait to try out your other spaghetti squash recipes (the ones with loads of garlic and parm)! Your method is how I normally cook acorn squash, but I really liked the suggestions of microwaving or roasting whole for a bit if it’s too hard to cut raw (cause god lord, sometimes squash is solid as a rock).
When I cook other squashes I like to save the seeds to later season and bake on a cookie sheet – they make a delightfully crunchy snack. I haven’t cooked spaghetti sqaush before, so I’m not sure if the seeds are big enough for this.
Anyway, thanks for this versatile recipe! I’ll have to snag a spare spaghetti squash from the custom-order produce farm I work at!! 😉
You can also cook most squash right side up, clean out seeds, then add half cup butter, (not margeran ) half cup brown sugar, cook .
WOw..every single post seems to be by someone with dukes up putting others down and/or starting a fight. Will steer clear of this site blog and hostile followers!
To each their own. Stop being such snobs.
This world is full of assholes & many of you on here have gone above & beyond to prove it.
Brandon is right.
I have just finished reading the comments and I’m amazed at how petty some people can be.
Even the commenters who just wanted to leave additional tips are getting crap thrown at them. Very weird.
This is worse than the ridiculous arguments that are usually found on an IMDB message board.
I’ve never seen this kind of behavior on a recipe comments page – and I’ve read many.
What’s the purpose of the olive oil? I made this without it and it came out great so I’m just curious if there was a specific reason.
It prevents the squash from drying out.
My God, it’s delicious, it’s mouth-watering.
I’m going to start making a success with this recipe from now on. Thank you very much, good work.
Thank you! Perfectly cooked! After microwave for 3 minutes, I still struggled to cut it lengthwise.. And I do have sharp Cutco knives…any suggestions? Will serve it tonight with an all natural marinera sauce.. Can’t wait!
You can try to microwave for longer to help soften it up a bit more. Hope that helps!
CHUNGAH thank you. Can you make it without olive oil an use water or coconut oil?
Coconut oil! 🙂
Punch holes, microwave for 5 to 10 minutes ten slice or cut in half with an electric knife, do cut off the end 1st.
The to season and bake 40 minutes or longer if you want.
I just read recently, to get the Long strands fork crosswise instead of the long way —-who knew!
Can you roast it and then put it in the refrigerator and use the fork to make the strands the next day?
Yes!
Thank you for the great recipe, I have cooked it a few different ways and this was by far easiest and delicious.
Thank you so much for the recipe. It came out pretty amazing. I added some coconut oil instead and a ton of spices: onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and just a hint of earth balance (vegan butter). Baked each 1/2 and they came out perfect. Used the left over from dinner and put into egg white breakfast scramble. So good. Thank you!
I have cooked spaghetti squash for many years. I have always done it in the microwave – just be sure to poke MANY holes. Of course, time depends on size. After cooking, I pull the strands with a fork and put in a large mixing bowl. Toss with 1-2 tbsp. cream, 2-3 tbsp. butter and LOTS of parmesan cheese salt & pepper. Put in buttered casserole and bake for apx 1/2 hr. (until top is browned) (350 degrees). Great side dish.
When you scrape out the seeds, rinse them off and roast them on a cookie sheet with a dash of salt along with the squash..They make a healthy snack!
For those having difficulty, stop by the hardware store and invest $10 in a fine toothed saw. Squash, watermelon, whatever gave you trouble will be a simple saw away
no, I will never stick a squash in the microwave.
Lots of comments, some good, some bad, I wonder why people have to fight over a recipe, everybody will make it a bit different and that is what makes it good. I have cooked this squash for several years, I grow it (organic) and make it about once a week (vegan). I am way past the senior age but I can still put a sharp knife on the side of the squash and split it. After removing the seeds I just put it in the oven upside down, turn the dial to 350 and the timer to 55 minutes. Return an hour later and it is ready. Let it cool down, scrape the strands with a fork and serve it with spaghetti sauce and some salt. Enjoy. I am making it tonight.
I just made it for the first time. I figured you boil it like spaghetti. WRONG. It was a big mushy mess. Next time I’ll roast it. Thanx for the helpful info.
Thanks for including my recipe! We love spaghetti squash at our house!
Ok – I’ve read the whole thing, including comments. I have cooked spaghetti quash several times before but I learned a few things from this article and so here is my modified method:
1. Poke the squash all over (I use a sharp paring knife).
2. Microwave for 2 minutes. 3. Using a heavy sharp knife, cut about 1 1/2 in. off the stem end. Stand the squash on the flat end and cut in half vertically. 4. Put about 2 or 3 in. of warm water in the sink and scoop out the seeds and pulp into the sink. 5. Roast the squash as described in the main article. 6. Clean the seeds in the sink and dry them on paper towel. You can now roast them on a sheet with a bit of olive oil, salt, and cumin (or use your favourite recipe). That way you won’t have thrown out most of the protein (or the Zinc, iron, phosporus, magnesiun, manganese, and copper).
HTH
This is my favorite post 🙂 Thanks Garry!
thanks. cant wait to try the seeds. My daughter loves pumpkin seeds done like that.
Omg I thought I was the only one who roasted my squash seeds!! My friends looked at me like I was a weirdo!
Clearly people have no life if they have to put down each other over a recipe….get a hobby.
I just tried to cook spaghetti squash using this recipe. ummm, I cooked it for an hour at 375 degrees & it still taste crunchy but looks mushy. I guess it takes practice….don’t know.
I didn’t use olive oil the second time I cooked mine to avoid the mush factor. It came out perfect.
Didn’t know what it was at first….then looked it up I cut it length wise hard to do lol cleaned seeds out put it in microwave face down with a lol water under it ….came out beautiful ….now I have to figure out how to cook it….help!!
Love spaghetti squash, from the garden or grocery store. Not a Vegan, but am a Senior. Take seeds out, place in glass cooking dish. I put red onion and seasoning in shell top…mmmm good. Microwave 3 minutes let it rest while i prepare a bed of spinach, microwave 3 more minutes, scoop on top of spinach flavor with olive oil and parm. Stay Healthy!
Just made this tonight to exact instructions and turned out superb in my convection oven! Was a bear to cut, actually cut myself (thankfully no blood), so will try the 2 minute microwave tip next time.
Served with my husbands famous spaghetti sauce and YUM! This is a great Paleo, Gluten free option to pasta.
Thanks for the recipe!
I too am going to try this (again) for Paleo. I have a Paleo crock pot cookbook that says cook it whole (pierce it first) with 1/2 c water for 8 hrs. Seems there may be more texture baking it with olive oil.
I have cooked it in my crockpot a few times which I think is handy that its ready when I get home but I find it always overcooks in the crockpot 🙁 I used to have a fancier one that would turn off after a set amount of time but my current crockpot just isn’t that fancy hahah
How long did you cook in the convection oven and on what temperture? Thanks
Made this tonight , yummy and easy too.
I am going to try to make spaghetti squash this way. I have tried cooking spaghetti squash before but never could get the squash to come out in strands that looked like noodles. I have had them in restaurants and I really liked the flavor so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this time it will work. I need new ways to cook some vegetables . We get tired of the same ones all the time.
Doing the same from the facebook photo. Love to hear how yours turned out. I’m serving it with steak just in case we don’t like it.
Trying for the first time this evening. It sounds delicious. Found a recipe for spaghetti squash on fb, but it didn’t tell how to cook or prepare the squash. Lol Wish me luck! 🙂
Its my first time cooking Spag squash, I never really know how to prepared them, so I open it took the seeds and whatever else then start shredding with cheese shredder till I noticed that its already shred like spaghetti noodles.ha ha ha.. but anyway I mixed it with chicken, onion, cream of mushroom, diced tomatoes salt and pepper and stick it in the oven.. It turn out pretty good..
Making this tonight. Our first time trying spaghetti squash. Tried your Thai coconut curry chicken thighs a week and a half ago. Such a huge hit we’ve had it again since. Thanks for the recipes!
I really don’t think she was rude. I saw positive and negative points. Seemed a balanced and constructive feedback to this new comer to spaghetti squash. I want to get it right the first time so my kids aren’t turned off to it and so I don’t spend all night in the kitchen. We eat late enough after work. Thank you, Jeanette! Very helpful to this ignorant newbie!
People tell me the noodles should be very similar to the texture of pasta but My noodles come out kinda crunchy. Sorta like the texture of a raw onion if that makes sense.
Can anyone tell me the problem? Over cooking? Under cooking? Or something else?
Thanks!
Sounds like you should cook it a little longer next time.
Same here. I cooked it for an hr. Mine definitely doesn’t have the length of spaghetti noodles.
The length will depend on the size of the spaghetti squash and whether you cut it in half or “rings”. Usually the ones I get near where I live give me strands that are about 5 inches if I cut the squash in half and roast it. I’ve never had one big enough to give me “noodles” that I could slurp up like spaghetti yet! lol
Trying this right now and reading the comments while it roasts. Some people are very rude and I just want to say thanks for the tips and I hope mine turns out looking as good as yours!
Everything I read a recipe and then read the comments, I’m shocked at how people take it upon themselves to make rude comments instead of simply saying (to themselves) that’s not right, or saying how they do it. Why knock anyone trying share how they cook something. Help its help! People need to get off their high horses and grow up. A recipe can have several variations. That being said…after you’ve got your stands from your skin, try bringing to boil chicken broth with a bit of brown sugar and tossing stands in briefly then serving. It’s a perfect size with chicken or steak. Had this at a restaurant and begged the chef to tell me his secret. Good luck
Yum! That’s sounds good.
Can somebody tell me the calories
Check the NUTRITION FACTS listed right after the recipe. Gives you all the info.
LOOOOOVE Spaghettis and Pasta and everything related to Italian food 🙂 Thx for sharing this with everyone. Do you suggest eating this at midday or at night? Based on the nutricious info I mean. I´ve been trying to dig into new and easy recipes and found out that Barilla Restaurants have low calorie pastas, vegan ones as well! Have you checked them? Very cool! http://www.barillarestaurants.com/menu/Pasta
Anyway, thanks again for sharing this! Looking forward to new pizza or pasta recipes soon!
You can eat this any time of day! 🙂
Where did you people read that it was loaded with protein? I just re-read the whole recipe/article and never saw anything about protein other than in the Nutrition Facts where it states “1.8 grams per serving”.
I love to read what everyone has to say, but the chef never said it was loaded with protein, she said low in fat and calories
I love spaghetti squash & it is a healthy food. However, the note at the top of your article says it’s “rich in protein.” That’s false. 1 cup (or 101g) of spaghetti squash has only 0.6g protein – not a significant source of protein. You need to add some meat for protein.
Not in this article. Nothing was said about it being rich in protein.
Actually, if you cut it into rings and then roast it, you’ll have much longer strands.
Good idea Thanks!
Yes! I have done this and you definitely get longer spaghetti-like strands. I found it a bit of a pain to cut it into rings when it was uncooked so I only did it the one time but you are absolutely right!
Now I usually cook it whole and let it cool a bit after. Then I can cut it into rings or half or whatever once it has cooled enough to handle. The rings also cooked much faster though! And got nicely caramelized on all the sides that were touching the pan.
My spag squash always comes out over cooked and gloppy, not strands. Will try it again following your directions.
Spaghetti squash is so good, and so good for you. My favorite is to make a Bolognese sauce and toss with the strands of squash, but garlic and butter sounds very good, too.
I usually cook it in the microwave. Very fast and yummy! Try using seasoned salt and pepper with butter.
I put it in the microwave prior to cutting it for 2 min and it makes cutting it so much easier!!!
thanks for this tip, Brooke.
put in microwave for 1 or 2 mins until a little soft-i have trble cutting in half–scrape out seeds & put back into microwave in pie pan with a little water in it– cut side down–microwave on high depending on how big the squash is-i usually cook until it is soft-use fork to scrape out strands onto plate-then you can use it just like a pasta–cooking time is a little trial & error for a few times but this is very easy & quick
If you roast it whole & then split it, there would be no use for the olive oil… GOOD! However, you would also not be able to salt or pepper it… REAL BAD because, as you know spaghetti squash has about “zulch” flavor by itself. That’s why you serve it with spaghetti sauce, so you know you are eating something. Don’t get me wrong. You get the benefit of eating squash (zip calories and nutrients) & loose the bad carbs from the spaghetti noodles! The last thing to note: Your cooking time would be different if you do not split the squash prior to baking. So, Pamela your comment is a bit too brief to be taken lightly.
Your kinda rude…
I really don’t think she was rude. I saw positive and negative points. Seemed a balanced and constructive feedback to this new comer to spaghetti squash. I want to get it right the first time so my kids aren’t turned off to it and so I don’t spend all night in the kitchen. We eat late enough after work. Thank you, Jeanette! Very helpful to this ignorant newbie!
People are so thin skinned anymore – lighten up! It was not rude, rather to the point and good info.
You’re*
Lol @ Rebecca. Echoed my thoughts.
Using a fork, I poke holes in the outside shell to help cook faster. Nuke refrigerated scraped out leftovers.
I don’t think spaghetti squash is rich in protein. Less than one gram per cup from what I found. On the other hand, it IS very low on the glycemic index!
Nothing in this article alludes to there being significant protein. Maybe actually read the article before You numb out and post.
JJ I found Lora’s post to be a good point. Not that I suspected there would be tons of protein in spaghetti squash, but it was good to point out. I hope you are having better days than you were having when you posted this! LOL I find being kind is so much nicer than criticizing, makes life so much easier!
JJ was right to say what he/she did, because Lora’s comment was in fact rather strange and misleading. You, however, are wrong to make groundless assumptions about what kind of day anyone is having in your plastic, preachy reply.
I find spaghetti squash, and most hard shelled winter squash very difficult to cut, and actually dangerous for seniors to even attempt. I usually microwave them for a few minutes before cutting. Depending on the size, I start with 5 minutes, then test. Doing this means that I don’t have to struggle trying to cut through a very formidable shell. Once it’s softened a bit, I cut off the stem end, then cut in half lengthwise.
I see that Pamela suggested roasting it first, so she knows what I’m talking about.
You might try asking the meat department (butcher) if someone would/could cut it for you. They usually will do roasts, chicken, etc. Good Luck……
Please don’t. The meat Dept has food grade issues with that and the deli all we have are our slicers we uae for our meat and we have to rigorously lean it to use it for squash. It takes 20 min and people get angry with only one or 2 slicers.
Thanks for this tip, I love spaghetti squash, but trying to half it, is a nightmare…..
Meat room also has a place for prepping food so they really shouldn’t gave a problem cutting it for you we cut veggies for things we make for our service case. …wash and sanitize knife and cutting board and done…
Or maybe produce department can do it!
One hand weight over a poly cutting board is what I used…
With a sharp knife, it is not hard. Knives have to be sharp….and most people’s aren’t.
I use an axe.
You can also boil it for a few then take it out, ,cut it and roast it or you can boil it til it’s done, takes about the same amount of time as roasting
Trim off the ends first – so that each end is flat. It can be a bit hard – but not as hard as cutting through the entire squash. Once you’ve done that, stand the squash up on one end and halve by pushing your knife done through the squash. By trimming both ends first you are removing the hard skin. This allows for an easier downward cut once you stand the squash up.
The very easiest way is to use the microwave. You can either leave it whole amd poke holes in the skin with a fork then put in microwave or cut in half and turn upside down in the microwave. Cook till done-between 5 and 15 minutes depending on size.
If you decide to microwave whole just don’t forget to pierce with a fork like I did (very important!). Trust me, it wasn’t pretty. Plus, it sounded like a bomb explosion…..and of course the squash was ruined.
I microwave spaghetti squash all the time. Actually I have never cooked it in the oven, perhaps I will try that.
And what happened to the microwave? Did it survive?
Putting it in the microwave simply defeats the purpose of using this squash over regular pasta. The microwave will change it in such a way that your body barely recognizes it as food.
Water molecules constitute what are known as dipoles. A dipole is sort of like a bar magnet, with a positive pole and a negative pole. The oven’s electromagnetic field oscillates as it passes through the water molecules in the food, changing the polarity of the field and causing the dipole/water molecules to flip themselves in order to be aligned with the new polarity. Heat is created by the resulting friction of the water molecules reversing direction millions of times a second. The only danger of using a microwave is soggy french fries. 🙁
Oh yeah besides radiating the food and your family, no there are dangers to cooking in a microwave.
>radiating the food and your family
This is why you must pay attention in science class. If you wish, my 12 year old can explain you how microwaves work and why it’s safe.
You know visible light is radiation too, right?
How could anyone trust a microwave. Besides all the chemicals in the food today why would u even consider using a microwave. I could live without a microwave but do not take my food processor away. I do not care who tells u they are safe. No microwave meals in this house.
Bil come on now. I bet you think you can get Iron in your diet by using cast iron pans too. And that Chlorine in your water is a really bad thing. Oh and let’s not forget Iodine in your salt.
Don’t be so uneducated. It doesn’t IRRADIATE your food. I bet you don’t believe in fluoridated water either.
Except that experiments have been done, literally by grade school children, in which one set of plants is given regular water and one set is given microwaved water, and you want to know the results? The plants in the “microwaved water” group died- EVERY SINGLE TIME. Maybe you should go read a few more studies.
While your righteous condescension is quite convincing, care to link said studies?
Actually, my daughter did an experiment last year stating plants from seed using regular and microwaved water. The seeds and resulting plants from the microwaved group actually sprouted faster and grew better than the plain water group. Most (all?) of the so-called “studies” online saying otherwise have been debunked.
Haha, of course plants are going to die if you take boiling hot water out of the microwave and pour it over the plant. Sounds more like an experiment of whether the experimenter has common sense. And if you’re truly worried about radiation you might want to turn off your wi-fi, smash your cell phone, and move far away from civilization.
They probably didn’t cool the microwaved water first. It is stil H2O. Chemically and molecularly it’s no different.
Haven’t you warmed your coffee in a microwave? Make tea? Jesus, people, read a book!!
Exactly !!
No doubt the nay sayers will be all over you.
Incorrect …. I am a 6th grade science teacher and this experiment is state core ., sorry but NO difference to water if microwaved !
Yes, and flourine and Chlorine are poison added in small ammounts to kill
Bacteria and Iodine is also left out of most Sea Salt because it was a dietary
absent substance for people who didn’t eat fish, or a balanced diet.
Only necessary in public water supplies… I have a well..
Microwaves are dangerous or the units wouldn’t have included shielding..
Yes, I make MW popcorn oil is also a complex dipole bonding and heats faster than h2O..
Ovens are also shielded. Know why? Because they generate heat. If the oven or microwave isn’t built thick and insulated, that heat escapes, defeating the purpose. Microwaves also use electromagnetic energies to cook food. I bet if you think real hard you can tell us why you wouldn’t want that just “floating” all about your kitchen. That doesn’t make it dangerous to the food or to ourselves when the heating process is done. The lack of common sense in this thread is astounding.
Andrew is correct. Go to this site created by an MD and an engineer – with studies for the past 30 years. https://www.emfanalysis.com/research/ Boil, Broil, Steam, Bake, etc. Use a convection oven for convenience. You do not need a microwave. Kills nutritional value plus the exposure to the body IS harmful. If you are going to make a healthy tasty recipe, you might as well gain the full benefit from it.
AGREE To me making a meal in the microwave is not cooking. That is nuking your food. I bet if u took a poll of 6 year olds most of them eat mac and cheese from the nuke machine What a shame. The kids will learn how to use a phone and computer but they will not know how to cook. Tell me there is nothing wrong with that picture
I use microwaves in moderation only…reheat coffee a little, etc.
That is so true!!! Totally destroys any food!
can you use the inside that looks like spaghetti
Thats what you scrape out. It does look like spaghetti and you can use it like spaghetti but without all those carbs. I put a veggie combo tomato sauce on it and serve as a side dish to chicken breasts.
Microwave may be easier but the roasted taste is better, turn the squash cut side up for the last few minutes to let them start to get roasted. Yum
What to do if one hasn’t got a microwave oven?
It’s easy to roast it whole then split it.
That’s what I was going to say, too.
I got to this page by looking for information/confirmation on the cooking methods to use/I am using on the spaghetti squash that’s in the oven, right now, along with some frozen Tyson chicken breasts, which I usually cook at 375 for about 60 minutes (no preheating of oven, so, a little longer than recommended).
And, by the way, to the lovely person who wrote the directions, thank you. You have calmed my mind. I”m pretty sure that an hour in an unpreheated oven for a spaghetti squash that is lightly stabbed but not split will be okay, now.
And, anyway, that’s what really struck me is that it says it is the easiest way to cook a spaghetti squash,when I am purposely cooking the whole thing in one go because of the difference between how hard it is to cut it when it is not cooked versus when it is cooked.
Good Lord you like to talk…
Hahahahaha! That wasn’t nice but it was hilarious because I was thinking the same thing.
Why is an honest, perceptive comment, completely neutral, “not nice”? And why does one,need to be “nice” when being accurate is a measureable behavior?
Pretty pathetic, Zoe. If someone feels like commenting some they don’t deserve being insulted by snob asses.
Nasty bully!
Goodness, how did a recipe site with directions bring out such nastiness? I am surprised at how mean this got! We need to all be nicer! Life is hard enough and the world is crazy, we don’t need THAT here.
Staying on subject, thank you for all of these great directions with a food I like but had no idea the best way to cook! Thank you thank you!
Another great way to cook it , is once you remove the seeds, put a dab of butter and a TBSP of brown sugar in the center. Cover with tin foil and bake 45-60 min at 350.
Delish
Totally agree – when & why did people get so nasty? It’s a freakin’ recipe!! Actually sad. My Mom always said if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Rude much? Comment sections are for giving a piece of your mind on an article or subject matter. If anyone strayed from acceptable behavior, it’s you. If your tiny little mind can’t handle the reading, move along..
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. Especially you!
wow, how obnoxious,
I’m out of here. NO EXCUSE FOR BAD BEHAVIOR
Maybe you should to stick with Pb&j if detailed cooking tips are too complicated you.
Blahahahaha blahahaha blahahaha blahahaha blahahaha blahahaha blahahaha blahahaha
Hahaha. Funny…
Sad thst someone stating ther thanks for simple directions gets slamed for her thanks.
Lynda , that is what I was thinking wow! You would think coming to a cooking site one could get peace and there is drama! She was just saying how thankful she was for the directions…
For Steve and all the morans after Steve’s coments you guys are mentally challenged, whinning pieces of shit. If you don’t like something don’t read it just fuck off!!!
Come on people!!! I’ve seen this language on Facebook, but not here on Pinterest. We’re all trying to learn something new and different to cook for our family. If I find it’s too difficult or I don’t like it, I just move on.
you have a filthy mouth, LORD HELP HER
He was unnecessary and so are the rest.
Good Lord Stevewingo, you are rude and have a STUPID name.
Just wanted to say your comment was hilarious and taken way out of proportion.
Yes Steve, hilarious, true and agree with GS taken way out of proportion. Lighten up everyone. I finally learned how to cook the thing. 🙂
It’s not the good Lord that caused you to be an ass!
OMG this is not Facebook. Grow the fuck up you stupid people. Someone explains a recipe and you dog them for talking to long. Maybe you should stick to TV dinners.
Good lord you’re kind of a dick
Wonder how that came out.. with not cutting it.. bet that was a mess… Please let us know Petula.. thank u.. I also have a hard time cutting it.. thinking of getting a band saw after it next time LOL
You can poke it with a knife and then use the microwave to make it easier to cut in half. 4-5 mins in the micowave usually works, then oven.
This is the route Weig g t Watchers recommends
I have a whole on in the oven now, but it also survived poking with a knife and then in the microwave, then baking. I have to go now to turn up the oven temp ! Mine is at 350…
Best way to cut it is to ask my husband for help! Lol
My grocer will also cut it in two with their buzz saw. Sometimes, I only buy half!
That’s what I just did and he commented that it was hard to cut.
Same here!
That is what I was thinking, just have my husband cut it. I like the idea of drizzling olive oil on it before baking. You can’t do that if it isn’t halved.
I use a fork and stick it in the squash all the way through to form a line from one end to the other and microwave it for 5 minutes, let it cool for a few – you can cut through it like butter.
Works great that way
rthank you for that tip!!!!!
Thank you for that tip! I’m cooking one for the first time and have been wondering how to cut it more easily 🙂
Brilliant. Thanks for the tip!
Wish I’d have read your comment before cooking, Petula! This is my first go at spaghetti squash and the first knife I used got stuck in the raw squash. I felt like Galahad trying to get the sword out of the stone! Next time I’ll try it your way.
LOL amazing 😀 And so true
Petula, I’d like to know how your spaghetti squash turned out cooking it whole in the oven. Thanks.
I cook them whole in the oven all the time! Just make sure you use a few deep stabs in your squash to permit the heat to escape. Failure to do this will result in a literal explosion ! Let it sit for a good bit, slice and BAM!! Heaven!
I now ask someone from the produce dept to split it for me since cutting was the hardest part of cooking this.
Only way to make it come out right is to cut it in half, dig out seeds, rub inside and edges with olive oil(sprinkle salt and pepper), place flat side down, and cook on 375 for up to 50mins. I just made today!! Yum
That is not true. I have always made mine in the microwave and it comes out perfectly cooked. You just make several cuts in the squash and put it in the microwave whole and cook it at 10 minute increments until the skin gives. Remove it let it cool. Let it cool, cut in half, remove the seed and then shred. No soiled pans and no heating up the kitchen – simple!
Hi Midge. I have found that baking squash in the oven versus microwaving it does make a difference- (at least using my microwave!) The squash retains more moisture and the strands are more limp and tender than when using the mic. I guess if you have very little time, the mic will do though! (this post is a little lengthy, I hope I don’t get in ‘trouble!’ lol)
So easy to cut the spaghetti squash in half, crosswise. (Trust me: a small, sharp paring knife will easily pierce the skin of the squash, and you won’t risk clumsily slicing off your fingers with a large kitchen knife.) Then take out seeds. Cooks in 10minutes on high in a stove top or electric pressure cooker. Yum
I’ll have to try that with an acorn or a butternut squash. Their rind is like metal it’s so tough —much harder than spaghetti squash I don’t like to lean on any knife that hardl afraid it may slip.
I just did this. When i cut it in half i was amazed to see how many seeds there were
How do you deal with those
You can use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
I find it easier to put in the microwave for about 5 minutes to soften the squash for easier slicing that way you at season it before cooking.
i bought spaghetti squash. It tasted raw
Um I was just looking at your directions and opinions for getting the best long stringy not mushy spaghetti squash for my daughter to cook tonight. Not sure if you all know it but today is national be nice to your fellow humans day. It is one day . I bet we can all do that. This is about squash not slamming another person. Squash. Breathhhhhhhhhh squashhhhhhhh.
That is what i just did! Easy. Then browned ground turkey and stirred with marinara sauce from jar. Served with garlic toast. Healthy, easy, and yummy?!