Let me begin by saying that spaghetti squash is a delicious, nutritious vegetable you should add to your diet if you aren’t already eating it. But it does not taste like spaghetti.

It has a lightly sweet, mild flavor that goes very well with butter and sharp cheese. If you roast it, it’s a little nutty tasting. But the flavor is still very neutral. It tastes more like summer squash or zucchini than other winter squash, like butternut. That’s why it works so well as a low-carb, gluten-free substitute for spaghetti.

Whole spaghetti squash on a white background.

When selecting a spaghetti squash, look for bright yellow color with firm, unwrinkled skin. It’s a winter squash, so it should be pretty sturdy and hard. A soft squash would be bad. Don’t worry too much about a few speckles or a rough spot on the skin. You’re going to throw that part away (or compost it) anyway.

Did you know there is a great debate about how to best cut and prepare spaghetti squash?

A large knife paying atop a whole spaghetti squash lengthwise.

There are two schools of thought about how one should cut a spaghetti squash: lengthwise (from stem to base) or crosswise (across the middle).

A knife laid atop a whole spaghetti squash crosswise.

You can cut your squash either way, and it will still be delicious. I prefer to cut the squash crosswise. That’s because I often use spaghetti squash as a replacement for spaghetti, like in this recipe for Caprese Chicken and Spaghetti Squash.

When you cut it lengthwise, from stem to end, you cut the strands in half. I’m cutting it crosswise to maximize the length of the squash strands.

Half a spaghetti squash and a fork on a brown kitchen towel.

I like my spaghetti squash strands as long as I can get them, so I cut down the middle or “with the grain” of the squash strands. If you don’t mind shorter strands of spaghetti squash and prefer to cut it lengthwise, it won’t affect the cooking time or the quality of the cooked squash.

A large knife slicing through a spaghetti squash crosswise.

I often soften my squash slightly in the microwave before I try to cut into it. Do this by piercing it several times with a fork or knife, then microwaving it on high for three to five minutes.

If you don’t have a microwave or want to skip that step, you can shave a flat spot onto one side of your squash so it will sit flatly or sit it on a kitchen towel to keep it from slipping around while you cut it. If you can’t soften it, I strongly urge you to cut it crosswise since it’s easier than cutting through the stem.

A raw spaghetti squash cut in half crossways with seeds intact.

Once your squash is cut in half, you will need to scoop out the seeds and gooey innards. I use a heavy, metal spoon for this task. You can roast and eat the squash seeds if you like or simply discard them.

A raw, cleaned spaghetti squash cut in half crosswise.

Once the squash halves are cleaned, you’re ready to cook them. You can rub the insides and cut edge with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then bake cut-side down in a 400°F oven. That takes 40 – 50 minutes. This creates a squash that is golden, slightly caramelized at the edges, and really delicious.

But I don’t always have that much time, and I don’t always want to run my oven. That’s where the microwave comes in handy. Preparing spaghetti squash is one of the tasks that allows a microwave oven to really shine.

Spaghetti squash halves sitting in a glass pan with water.

In the microwave, you aren’t roasting the squash as you are in the oven. You’re steaming it. Steaming vegetables is something microwave ovens do very well.

To generate that steam, you will need to fill your baking dish with about an inch of water. It doesn’t need to be exact. Anywhere from a half-inch to an inch will do.

A knife piercing cooked spaghetti squash in a glass pan.

Once the squash has been cooked, whether steamed in the microwave or roasted the oven, you will know it’s done when you can pierce the skin fairly easily with the tip of a sharp knife or the tines of a fork.

Once it’s done, it’s important to let it cool a bit before trying to remove the squash strands. If you roasted it, you can just set it aside to rest. If you microwaved it, use a towel or tongs to remove the squash from the pan so it will stop cooking. Discard the water.

Half a spaghetti squash and a fork in a glass pan.

The easiest way to separate the squash strands from the skin is with a fork. Gently scrape the inside of the shell with the tines and pull the squash strands away. Discard the empty husks.

You can serve spaghetti squash with a little butter and parmesan cheese, or top it with your favorite spaghetti sauce. Either way, it’s delicious!

Have you figured it out yet? The “right way” to cook spaghetti squash is any way you like, so long as you do.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash the Right Way

Course: Basics, Dinner, Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegetables, WeeknightCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Finishing

minutes

Whether you have a few minutes or an hour to make dinner, spaghetti squash makes a great side dish or low-carb, gluten-free alternative to pasta!

Ingredients

A 2-3 lb. spaghetti squash
Water (if microwaving)
Olive oil (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste (optional)

Directions

Prepare the Squash
Pierce the squash several times with a sharp knife or fork.
Place in microwave and cook on high for 3–5 minutes (to soften the skin slightly).
Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half. Most cooks will cut the squash lengthwise, and that’s fine. I cut it crosswise so the strands of squash are longer and more spaghetti-like.
Scoop out the seeds and center pulp, and discard.
To Cook in Microwave (faster)
Place cleaned squash cut side down in a microwavable baking dish. Add about 1 inch of water.
Microwave on high for 8 minutes (1200-watt microwave). Rotate the pan halfway through if your microwave doesn’t have a revolving turntable.
To Cook in Oven (tastier)
Rub the inside of the cleaned squash with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (optional).
Place squash, cut side down, on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake in a 400°F oven for 40 – 50 minutes.
Finishing
No matter which cooking method you choose, the squash is done when the skin can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife or a fork. Don’t overcook the squash, or it will be mushy.
Remove hot squash halves from the pan and set them aside to cool so you can handle them.
Using a fork, pull squash strands out of the hull.
If you haven’t already done so, season with salt and pepper to taste.