How to cut and prepare spaghetti squash for every spaghetti squash recipe. If you close your eyes, you’ll think you’re eating angel hair pasta. That’s why you’re going to love this satisfying, nutritious, low carb alternative to pasta.
We all know that the kitchen can be a very dangerous place. Kitchen accidents happen even to top chefs. Did you happen to see the Thanksgiving episode on the Food network a few years ago when celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis sliced her finger during live filming? That hurts.
Today, I’m going to show you how to cut a spaghetti squash without cutting your fingers. And then how to quickly and easily cook your squash for a delicious side dish.
Have you ever tasted spaghetti squash? It gets its name because after it’s cooked, the inside turns into beautiful, pasta-like strands. If you close your eyes, you’ll think you’re eating angel hair pasta.
That’s why you’re going to love this satisfying, nutritious, low carb alternative to pasta. It’s a fun, fall dish for anyone on a gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian diet.
It’s one of those foods that’s not only versatile but also surprisingly delicious. Let me walk you through how to cut and cook it, and give you some tips and tricks along the way. Ready? Let’s get started!
Which Squash is Spaghetti Squash?
Alright, first things first. Spaghetti squash is this unique squash that, when cooked, separates into long, noodle-like strands. It’s a bit different from your typical butternut or acorn squash.
Spaghetti squash is usually available in the fall and winter months, which is when it’s at its best. You can find it at most grocery stores, farmer’s markets, or even specialty produce shops.
When picking a spaghetti squash, look for one that feels heavy for its size and has a hard, golden-yellow rind. The skin should be free from soft spots or blemishes.
As for taste, it’s mildly sweet and a bit nutty, making it a great canvas for all sorts of flavors. Think of it as a blank slate ready to soak up whatever deliciousness you throw its way!
Nutritional Benefits of Spaghetti Squash
Here’s a little nutrition nugget for you: Spaghetti squash is a fantastic low-calorie, low-carb option. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and B6, plus it’s high in fiber which is great for digestion and heart health.
Each 4-ounce serving of spaghetti squash contains around 41 calories and 5 grams of carbs, making it a stellar choice for anyone following a low-carb or keto diet.
But that’s not all—spaghetti squash also boasts antioxidants and a high water content, which helps keep you hydrated and can aid in reducing inflammation.
It’s a nutrient-dense fruit (yes, it’s technically a fruit!) that fits seamlessly into a nutritious eating plan.
Delicious Ways to Enjoy Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is super versatile and can be a great side dish for many of your favorite meals. Imagine it paired with an easy hearty Beef Ragoût With Tomatoes And Pearl Onions, or maybe you’d like to try a creamy Spaghetti Squash Carbonara (Without Egg).
Plus, don’t toss those seeds! You can roast them for a tasty snack or toss them into salads or soups for a bit of crunch.
The Best Way to Cut and Cook Spaghetti Squash
Now, onto the fun part—cutting and cooking. I’ve seen all sorts of methods for dealing with spaghetti squash. Some folks microwave it, others use a saw (yes, really!), and there’s the option of slicing it into rounds for longer strands.
While these techniques can work, I’ve found that my method is the easiest way to get a beautifully roasted squash with minimal hassle.
Check out the video and step-by-step pictures to see exactly how I do it. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be cooking up spaghetti squash like a pro in no time!
Watch this to see how to cut and prepare spaghetti squash
Here’s a summary of the video with step by step photos:
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 375℉.
Now, please be careful, friends, when you cut open your squash. It has a very tough skin.
First, here’s a special tip. In the video, I place a folded kitchen towel under the squash to prevent it from sliding while you cut.
Make your first cut with a sharp paring knife at the stem. This is a shorter knife like the one you might use to peel and cut fruits and vegetables. You can see this step in the video above. Then cut off the stem with a sharpened chef’s knife. (We sharpened all our knives before starting.)
Next, make your first cut with a sharp paring knife across the side of your squash.
This will make it much easier to insert your longer chef’s knife all the way through. Otherwise, you may find the big knife gets stuck. You don’t want to be fighting your squash with a knife. So by starting your cut with the paring knife, you can just cut your squash easily in half lengthwise with the chef’s. First, cut all the way down to one end.
Then, remove the knife, turn the squash in the other direction, and cut down the other way to completely cut your squash in half.
Can you eat the seeds of spaghetti squash?
Scoop out the inside seeds and strings with a spoon and throw them away or better yet, you can roast the seeds similarly to pumpkin seeds. Rinse them to remove any stringy bits, toss with a little oil and salt (and maybe some cinnamon), and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
Now, brush olive oil generously all over the inside of each half.
Arrange your squash in a 9×13-inch baking dish, cut sides down.
Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash. I baked this squash for one hour. You’ll know yours is done when the flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Scrape a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in spaghetti-like strands.
And you’re done! Now all you have to do is pile your plate high.
Serving suggestions
You can enjoy it with butter, salt, and a touch of pepper, or toss it with tomato sauce. For a hearty option, top it with Low Carb Italian meatball Parmesan. It’s also great in stir-fries, salads, or simmered in broth for a flavorful spaghetti squash soup.
Or simply, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, sauté with garlic and oil, or toss with rich, authentic Italian Red Sauce with lots of fried meat. Basically, any of your favorite sauces will make it awesome.
Pro tips and recipe notes
So, if you’ve got a whole, uncooked spaghetti squash, you can keep it in a cool pantry for about 1 to 2 months. Once you’ve cooked it, here’s how to store it:
– In the fridge: Put it in an airtight container, and it’ll stay good for about 4 to 5 days.
– In the freezer: Let it cool down completely, then put it in freezer-safe bags. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as you can to avoid freezer burn.
– Reheating: Just microwave the leftovers for about a minute, or you can sauté them in a pan with a bit of butter or oil and any seasonings you like.
Enjoy, friends! Let me know in the comments how you will be serving your spaghetti squash. 🙂
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How to cut and cook spaghetti squash: your ultimate guide
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉.
- Place a folded kitchen towel under the squash to prevent it from sliding while you cut. Make your first cut with a sharp paring knife at the stem. Then cut off the stem with a sharpened chef's knife.1 spaghetti squash
- Make a cut with the sharp paring knife across the side of your squash.
- Then switch to a sharp chef's knife and cut all the way down to one end.
- Remove the knife, turn the squash in the other direction, and cut down the other way to completely cut your squash in half.
- Scoop out the inside seeds and strings with a spoon and throw them away.
- Brush olive oil generously all over the inside of each half.extra virgin olive oil
- Arrange your squash in a 9×13-inch baking dish, cut sides down.
- Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash, about 45 minutes - 1 hour. I baked this squash for one hour. You’ll know yours is done when the squash pulls easily away from the skin,
- Scrape a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in spaghetti-like strands.You can serve with butter, salt, and a little pepper or toss with tomato sauce. Maybe sprinkle with parmesan cheese or sauté with garlic and oil. Really just about any favorite sauce will be awesome.
Notes
Nutrition
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Alice Gerard says
Oh yum, I’m going to try this. It looks delicious. I’ll be checking your blog frequently because my nephew and his wife and daughters are coming to visit for Christmas. My nephew’s wife needs to have a gluten-free diet, and I’d love to find some recipes to prepare for her. I am generally responsible for making dessert.
Barbara says
Welcome Alice! I’m so glad. Please click on the recipe tab at the top of the blog and you can scroll down to my dessert category for some delicious ideas.
Candess says
How inviting. I am off to the store right now. This is such a simple idea, but for some of us who don’t cook much, it is great! Last week I messed up cooking rice in my rice cooker. Then I realized it was a slow cooker. This is perfect!
Barbara says
Haha This squash is quite doable. I hope you’ll come back and tell me how you like it.
Francene Stanley says
What a fantastic tip. I didn’t know you could achieve the strands with a fork. I thought I would need to buy one of those fancy machines that turn vegetables into spaghetti-like strands. Thank you so much. I’ll try this.
I like the way you’ve set out your post, too. Showing the cutting will help your reader to be careful.
Barbara says
Thank you, Francene. You knowI love my spiralizer and have featured a lot of recipes with it, but spaghetti squash amazingly produces spaghetti like strands just by cooking it. It’s so fun to eat.
Amy says
Making that initial little cut with the smaller knife is a very handy tip for how to slice open a hard-skinned squash. Well done! I LOVE spaghetti squash and this post makes me hungry for some!
Barbara says
Thanks Amy, It is a lot easier to tackle by making that first cut. :0
Richard Dickinson says
I microwaved my squash whole for 4-5 min before cutting and it made it so much easier.
Dina says
I love spaghetti squash! I cant get enough of it! This looks so delicious. Thank you for linking up at Tasty Tuesdays!
Barbara says
Thanks Dina, You’re so sweet. How do you serve your spaghetti squash?
Raia says
Yum! I love spaghetti squash. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this over at Savoring Saturdays – hope to see you back this weekend!
Jane says
Your photos are making me hungry! I love spaghetti squash, it’s so delicious. Your tutorial for preparing the squash is great. Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong all these years! Will definitely try your process the next time around.
wemlinger@att.net says
Looks delicious. Oh, and those squash seeds, if you clean them up soak them in salt and toast them in the oven, they taste a lot like pumpkin seeds. In fact most squash seeds are as edible as pumpkin seeds. Enjoy.
debbbi says
Can you by this in the UK finding it very hard to find it here would love to try this and a wee sneaky way to get the kids to eat vegetables to
Barbara says
Hi Debbi, I have another friend who lives in the UK and she was not able to find spaghetti squash. Sometimes they’re available in local markets when squash is in season. I hope you can find them eventually because they’re a fun unique vegetable to try. 🙂
debbbi says
Aww thank u Barbara for your response ye it looks yummy fast and easy and possibly my fussy kids would have liked it lol aww am actually going to switch off lol from it av asked the older generation to in my family they have never heard of it aww hopefully it come to UK soon looks to yummy xxx debbie xxx my silly phone must have typed my name wrong lol xxxx
Marie says
Squash is one of my favorite healthy fall eats! And yes, I do get a kick out of it being just like spaghetti :). Thank you for sharing this recipe! I actually pricked it all over and baked mine whole to avoid the cutting struggle that is inherit of this squash. Made slicing much easier!
Liz says
I used to eat spaghetti squash a lot as a kid, and a friend and I were just chatting about how we should try making some soon. Thanks for the info!
Barbara says
What a coincidence. Thanks, Liz.
Anastasia says
This is one of my most favourite vegetables (or is it more correct to say berries? 😉 ) of all times, even just looking at the yellow color makes me happy! I loved your simple instructions, thank you.
Barbara says
Thanks so much for your sweet comment.
coding Shivaay says
Awesome post.. Keep them coming
Barbara says
Thanks so much!
Kathryn Grace says
I’ve always roasted the squash whole, but I can see the advantage in halving the squash and removing the seeds and gunk before baking. Much less mess when getting ready to serve! I’m having trouble streaming videos tonight, so I thank you for including the instructions in still photos as well. Excellent tutorial!
Barbara says
Thanks, Kathryn and thanks for the stars too. I’m so glad that you found this helpful.
Aaron says
I’ve always wanted to try making spaghetti squash at home but have always been a little afriad of it. Thanks for the step by step instructions once I actually give it a try!
Barbara says
It’s a real treat to make at home.:)
Marla says
HI Barbara,
I love spaghetti squash. I have had the problem several of not baking mine long enough and it isn’t as tasty. I love to put coconut oil on mine instead of olive oil and a little maple syrup in the core about 15 minute before it done baking to sweeten it.. Your suggestions were very helpful. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted! Have a healthy, happy & blessed Thanksgiving!
Barbara says
Mmm, the maple syrup sounds delicious, Marla.
Nicole says
You make it look so easy! I haven’t tried to make spaghetti squash and it’s mainly because I don’t know how to cut into it. Now I do. Thank you for sharing your kitchen tips at the #HomeMattersParty
Barbara says
It’s such a fun side dish, Nicole. I hope you’ll give it a try now. 🙂
Kassidi says
Good video. But honestly you made a 5 step 2 min max video into a 32 step 6 min video. Cut down on the over explanation a bit and you’re golden.
Gwen Lyons says
I am the only one in my house who eats any kind of squash. Is it possible to freeze any leftovers?
Barbara says
Hi, Gwen, I haven’t frozen it myself, but I’m sure it will freeze as well as other vegetables do. 🙂
Chris Christensen says
Hi, I’ve never cooked spaghetti squash before, and I do a lot of meal prepping. How how does the squash hold up in the refrigerator after it’s been cooked ?
Barbara says
Hi, Chris! I’ve found cooked spaghetti squash keeps very well in the fridge. I hope you love it! 🙂
Mary Bailey says
Here’s a tip I read for cutting the squash; I cut the stem end off, then I pierce the squash all the way around (long way, starting at the stem end and ending at the stem end) then I microwave it for 5 mins, depending on the size of the squash, remove from microwave, and use the holes I pierced as a guideline to cut, ( microwaving it just softens it enough to not have to struggle to get the knife through) remove the seeds and prep for cooking.
Peggy says
If u cut the squash in half around the belly-like the equator, you will get beautiful long spaghetti strands rather than half- sized ones!
Pamela Wright says
Following these directions but then wrapping each squash half in double foil and grilling skin side down for 25 – 30 mins, cuts your cooking time in half and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. I always grill my squash…faster and no dish to wash:)
Barbara says
Terrific, Pamela. I”m glad you found the post helpful. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Tiffany says
Thank you for this fantastic post! I made some for the first time ever and followed your tips. I shared your link on my latest blog post. Following you on Pinterest!
Barbara says
Oh thanks, Tiffany! Spaghetti squash is such fun. I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for the stars. 🙂
Béa says
Hi Barbara, delicious, I served it with Indian tomato sauce and meat balls. Thank you for this recipe.
Barbara Bianchi says
Mmm that sounds delicious, Béa !