How to Cut and Bake Spaghetti Squash Recipe Card
Cut and roast spaghetti squash boats with these simple steps and watch your pasta cravings disappear! This winter vegetable offers a variety of delicious, low-carb meal options once you know how easy it is to prepare. Plus, roasted spaghetti squash is easy to store in the refrigerator or freeze, making it perfect for meal prep. Give it a try this Fall or Winter to add variety and convenience to your meals!Low-Carb, Gluten Free, Keto, Low-Calorie
Equipment
- Large sharp knife
- Small sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Tea towel
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash medium size
- Avocado or Olive Oil or Spray
- Dried Thyme or your desired spices
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
How To Cut Spaghetti Squash
- Score the Spaghetti Squash: Place a folded tea towel on your cutting board and set the spaghetti squash on top of it. This helps keep it from rolling around.
- Hold the squash steady near the stem with your non-dominant hand.
- With your other hand, use a small, sharp paring knife to make short, dashed cuts down the length of the squash, starting from the top and centre, moving away from the stem.
- Turn the squash around and repeat, so there’s a dashed line running from the bottom to the stem.
- Flip the squash over and do the same thing on the other side. You should now have two dashed lines running along both sides of the squash.
- Slice the Spaghetti Squash: Hold the squash near the stem with one hand to keep it steady.
- With your other hand, use a large, sharp knife to slice into the squash from the middle along the dashed cuts. Cut all the way down to the bottom end.
- Turn the squash around, and starting from the middle again, cut down toward the stem, moving away from your hand. Do not try to cut through the hard stem.
- Flip the squash over and repeat steps 6 & 7. As you cut through the bottom end this time, the squash should open slightly, making it easier to finish separating the halves.
- Turn the squash around and, again starting from the middle, cut down toward the stem, being careful to keep your hand out of the way. Stop when you reach the tough stem, but cut as close to it as you can; don’t try to cut through it.
- Split the Spaghetti Squash: You should have both spaghetti squash halves still attached at the stem.
- Using your hands, gently pull the two halves apart to separate them.
- Scoop out the seeds with a spoon by scraping them from the inside away from the flesh, leaving the middle part hollow. The Spaghetti squash is now ready to roast
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash
- Season: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Brush avocado oil onto the flesh and season the spaghetti squash with salt, pepper and dried thyme (or leave it plain if you prefer). I like to use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the flesh.
- Place the squash halves, flesh side down, onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Roast: Roast in the oven for 25-40 minutes, depending on the squash’s size and your preference for a pasta-like texture.I cook squash al dente, reminiscent of spaghetti pasta, but I usually follow these times depending on the size of the squash.Small Spaghetti squash: Bake for 15-20 minutesMedium Spaghetti squash: Bake for 25-30 minutesLarge Spaghetti squash: Bake for 35-40 minutes
- Once the squash is roasted, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Shred: Take a fork and shred the flesh into long, stringy spaghetti-like noodles. It should be easy once it’s cooked.
- Pick at the strands and gently scrape from the edges toward the middle to form spaghetti-like noodles. If you want to serve your spaghetti in its shells, keep half an inch of the edge intact.
Notes
Notes and Tips
- Use a small sharp knife to score your spaghetti squash before cutting it in half with a large sharp knife.
- Cook the spaghetti squash al dente until it has a slight bite, like pasta.
- To avoid mushy spaghetti squash, bake it al dente, with a bite like pasta.
- Pick a melting cheese that will quickly melt into the sauce.
- For meal prep, store the spaghetti squash and your desired sauce separately.