How to Bake Spaghetti Squash
Learn how to swap your traditional noodles for a healthy dose of spaghetti squash.
When baked, spaghetti squash shreds into thin, stringy pieces that work great as a pasta substitute. Serve it hot or cold and dress it with your favorite sauce or simply with butter or olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Don't let spaghetti squash's size intimidate you — the toughest part will be cutting it in half!
1 Ingredients
• 1 (4-8 pound) spaghetti squash, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Olive oil
Time to Make: 49 to 90 minutes | Yield: The average 4 lb. squash will yield about 5 cups
2 Cut the Squash
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Cut the raw spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a sharp, sturdy knife. (Be careful cutting the squash — it's hard and rolls around easily!)
Start by cutting off the stem. Next, place your knife in the middle of the squash and press straight down with your knife. Then, pull the knife down, cutting one side in half. Repeat that step to cut through the other half of the squash.
3 Remove Seeds & Prep for Baking
Scoop out the seeds and fibrous strings with a spoon and discard.
Place the squash halves in a large baking dish (lined with foil for easy cleanup) cut side up. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over both halves and drizzle generously with olive oil.
4 Bake the Squash
Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 90 minutes. Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.
To test for doneness, insert a fork into the squash. If the meat pulls easily away from the skin, it's ready to go. It's better to bake it longer to prevent the squash from being "crunchy" or underdone.
5 Shred the Squash
When finished cooking, remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool for a couple minutes. Then, gently scrape the tines of a fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the flesh into strands.
6 Dress & Serve
Move the strands into a large bowl. Top with butter or your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy!
More Ways to Cook Spaghetti Squash:
• Microwave Spaghetti Squash
• Low-Carb Southwest Spaghetti Squash
• 200+ Spaghetti Squash Recipes