More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
Additionally, you can use the cooked squash in your preferred spaghetti squash dishes. Here are two of mine (pictured below):
How to Make Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
- Place the spaghetti squash on a cutting board.
- Take out your biggest knife and carefully cut the squash lengthwise. Take your time and go slow.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and membrane.
- Salt, pepper, dried herbs, and olive oil should be sprinkled on the squash.
- After placing the cut side down on a baking sheet, roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fork tender, at 400°F. This may take longer if your squash is large.
Sure, feel free to substitute any desired vegetables for the meat, such as mushrooms.
Although this recipe is sufficient for a full meal on its own, you can also serve it with my copycat Red Lobster Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits or Olive Garden Breadsticks!
- This spaghetti squash is best enjoyed the day it’s made.
- Store separately in airtight containers for best results.
- For up to a week, the spaghetti squash “noodles” can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Additionally, the meat sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least a few days.
- Heat the sauce again in a microwave until it’s thoroughly heated, or reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Reheat the squash in a 300°F oven until warmed through. Reheating in the oven will prevent mushy squash.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
First things first: cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.
Before slicing your squash in half, if it’s too tough to cut, give it a little tenderizing in the oven or microwave.
- Option 1: Roast the squash whole. Use a fork to prick the entire thing, then bake it at 400°F for ten minutes, or until it’s tender enough to cut into two pieces.
- Option 2: Microwave the squash. Use a fork to prick it all over, then microwave it in 1-minute intervals until it becomes soft enough to cut.
After that, chop the squash in half and continue making the recipe!
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon after slicing the squash in half.
Then, lightly brush the insides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Just a light drizzle and a light sprinkle will do because I find that adding too much oil and too much salt at this point makes the squash a little watery.
After that, use a fork to make a few holes in the squash’s skin, then put it cut side down on a baking sheet. Pop it in a pre-heated 400°F oven.
Roasting my squash for too long was a mistake I used to make. I now roast it for 30 to 40 minutes instead of an hour or longer as I used to. I used to believe that the squash had to be extremely soft and fork-tender for the strands to “spaghetti,” but as time goes on, I’ve come to realize that I actually prefer my strands to be more al dente, or less mushy, and that the one-hour mark was excessive. Of course, how long it takes will depend entirely on how big your squash is and how hot your oven is. Additionally, it can differ from squash to squash, so be sure to modify the cooking time.
After it’s roasted and cool enough to handle, scrape the strands off with a fork. I prefer to fluff them up as I go in, starting from the outside.
And that’s it! Serve it as a simple vegetable side dish, adding a little more salt and pepper to taste.
