How to Cook Spaghetti Squash 
If you've NEVER eaten spaghetti squash, well, you're not missing anything. To be quite honest. It's not gross, but it's not genetically swimming in depths of flavor either. To be REALLY HONEST, I don't know why farmers keep growing it. Compared to all the fruits that come from the squash family, this one has the least amount of flavor. anyhoo
Last week, the grocer had spaghetti squash on sale. I thought that since I'm trying to be a well rounded food blogger and all, I ought to give'em a whirl. Silly me, a half hour before dinner I started wondering how I was suppose to cook it. I gave my friends in Twitterland and Facebookville a shout out for directions. I got back instructions for baking up to an hour. That wouldn't do. I decided to go with the directions on the sticker stuck onto the squash. Talk about BASIC and FAST.
I did read a thorough "how to" article from About.com that was worth bookmarking. It covers the pro and cons of all the methods of cooking this squash.
HERE'S WHAT I DID
First, I cut the squash open and scooped out the seeds with a melon ball tool. A melon ball tool is THE BEST tool for this job. It's practically effortless.
I saved the seeds and baked them the same way as I did the roasted pumpkin seeds.
Next, I found a microwaveable dish that would hold the cut squash and covered the bottom with water. I nuked the squash for 12 minutes on HIGH power.
Ever so carefully, I removed the dish from the microwave and allowed it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes. I still needed an oven mitt when it came time to scrap the squash. These babies really know how to hold their heat.
Because I cut the squash lengthwise, the strands were actually cut in half and shorter. I instantly figured out that for a longer strand, I would have to cut across the equator. I didn't make that up, I got that term somewhere else.
All it takes is a fork to scrap perpendicular to the strands and they come out so easily.
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY Recommend transferring the strands to a strainer or sieve before plating. The strands release water after being removed. This would probably be a good time to season them with salt & pepper, drizzle with a tasty flavored oil, something.
I had already cooked up what's becoming my family's FAY VOR RIGHT homemade tomato sauce. Poured the sauce over the squash, topped with fresh parmesan cheese and we were chowing down!
Now, it's your turn. You tell me how I could have made this spaghetti squash have more flavor. I'm willing to try it again, if someone has a real recipe they love to make ALL THE TIME. I want to hear from folks that eat this spaghetti squash on a regular basis.
Jill,
I’m with ya on the taste thing. I’ve tried, believe me I’ve tried, to really like this stuff but nada, nope, nothing. It’s the bland leading the bland.
The only way I’ve found to make this stuff good is to hide it in casseroles or cover it with a yummy sauce like you did. Wish things this good for you tasted like chocolate, don’t you?
Francie
Jill – I cook with spaghetti squash all the time, not because it has any fantastic unique flavor, but because it’s pretty good at absorbing the flavors of other stuff and I can sub it for pasta on some evenings and get an extra serving of veggies in. I wouldn’t say I adore the stuff, but it has it’s uses.
Definitely strain it after cooking and then toss it with some salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. I also toss it with pesto sometimes. You can also slightly under-cook it and then throw it in a frying pan with some oil, spices and mixed veggies for a sort of all veggie primavera/stir fry. Or try doing the same with curry powder.
Like I said, I just use it as a base … and it nicely absorbs other flavors, while giving a good crunchy veggie texture.
Francie, I think Kara has some great ideas here. I’m totally willing to try spaghetti again under new directions. I haven’t seen any recipes mention stir fry.
I’m glad we can be honest here, not every food can be the most delicious ever. Right?
Thank you Kara, for the other ideas. Francie, what recipes should I avoid completely?
Maybe I am strange but I LOVE spaghetti squash! I toss the strands with olive oil (or butter), salt, pepper, lots of parmesan cheese, and a dash of nutmeg.
Good morning KCJill!
I haven’t known you long enough to agree if you’re strange. ;D
Give me time.
What is your favorite way to cook it? I want details here.
Started eating this while trying to cut carbs and even my 4 year old loves it but still haven’t sold to my 6 year old on it.
I halve it and put it cut side down in a pan with 1/2 inch of water and bake in the oven at 350 until soft (about 40 min). Like the flavor better than microwave. Then scrape the strands into a bowl and toss with butter or olive oil, salt/pepper and a good couple handfuls of parmesan cheese and little sprinke of nutmet.
Great side dish versus rice, pasta or potatoes.
This made a nice substitute for spaghetti. I would definitely like to have this again. We might need some extra buttery garlic bread to go on the side though, just to keep it balanced
Let me tell you what I do with them.
I usually bake the squash lay it out
fluff it up and dump a large Wendys
chile over it and whalaa.The chile
works wonders with the Squash.Quick easy and a hoot.Skip Italy.Think
Cincinnati.Tell Wendys you want some onions and shredded cheese on the side.
Totally agree about the bland taste / flavor, but this is one vegetable that’s been on my list of things to “make use of”.
I like your fresh preparation and how well you’ve served it up (dressed very nicely). My recipe is slightly different… in completely different. It’s not even the same dish lol
I’ve gone with a more exotic approach – bit of an Indian spin, using lots of fresh vegetables as part of the recipe.
Finely Chopped Onion, simmered in Veg oil, till its almost just a sauce. Drop in some Tumeric powder (half tea spoon), one tea spoon of curry powder and let it simmer a bit more before adding a tea cup of water.
Drop in cubed pieces of the squash and add either prawns or Red fish.
Let it cook for about 20mins to 30 mins. Finally add some fresh coriander and serve with rice.
That’s a lot of flavor for something so bland! Best I could do. It tastes a lot nicer than it may sound… give it a go.
When Spaghetti squash is microwaved or boiled, it is gross. It is soggy, mushy, and flavorless. That was how my mother cooked it.
I, however, bought a squash with different directions on it. It said to preheat the oven to 375. You slice the squash in half (long-ways) and spread some olive oil on a baking sheet. Spoon out the seeds (I found a grapefruit knife works wonderfully), and place the squash cut side down on the sheet. Bake for an hour. Remove the stringy tenderness from the shell with a fork. The oil it was baked on, with salt and pepper is enough seasoning for me.
I found that roasting it like this (without water) is the most flavorful way to cook spaghetti squash. It browns the edges and brings out its natural sweetness. It is SOOO good.
THANK YOU Roxanne! I really appreciate you taking the time to share with me/us.
I will try roasting next time. I'm quite hooked on roasting all my veggies these days.
There's something about the crispy edges and creamy textures that are created through roasting that we cannot get through any other cooking techniques.
Jill, I never tried it microwaved, when I bake it in the oven for 1 hour at 400º it's never mushy or watery. As far as taste, it is pretty bland it does soak up the flavor of watever sauce you use. It's low in calories and carbs which is why I love it! If you are on weight watchers it's 0 pts for 1 cup.
I usually go the acorn squash style sweet route with any squash. I am the only one who eats it, and I can eat one for two meals. With SPaghetti squash the salt pepper and butter route works well also. Sometimes a little parm also. I know I am abusing this healthy food, but I really just use it as a base for whatever bad flavor I am craving.
I am cooking Spaghetti Squash for the first time. I boiled it ( I had read this site yet, next time I'll do it the right way to retain as much flavor as possible) and after reading your comments I tasted it and it wasn't too bad. I was going to add ground beef and make a casserole but since we try to eat two all vegetable meals a week, I decided to forego the meat and see how it tastes without it. I am adding sauteed onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and celery. We are on a low sodium diet so I am using oregano, basil, cayenne and no salt all purpose seasoning. Then I'm going to toss it with some Cheddar Cheese and bake it. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I actually love the spaghetti squash and it tends to take on whatever flavor you infuse it with so spice it up and you have a wonderful lite and flavorful dish!
Karyn Campbell
Ohio
Email Subscriber
Agreed. Not a lot of flavor, but there are some great benefits! My hubby was 60 when diagosed with diabetes. Then a couple years later other health issues brought to light that he could no longer eat any wheat, barley, or rye (no gluten). So – bring on the meaty, tasty sauce and don’t forget the parmesan!!
I need to give spaghetti squash another whirl with a meatier sauce. It certainly needs a substantial partner on the plate.
Just googled this page…
I love Spaghetti Squash. I think it has a slightly sweet flavor (all by it’s self) and a wonderful texture. I’ve never eaten it like pasta. I always eat it baked or microwaved (for about 15 minutes) and with butter and salt and thats it.
I will also make a brown-sugar dressing (1/3 cup REAL brown sugar and 1/3 stick butter) and pour over the cut up (into cubes) squash and then nuke it for a few more minutes (and then there’s a liquid gravy-sort in the bottom of the dish that you can pour over other foods). It’s fabulous.
Hi Mark!
First, thanks for letting me know how you found me, Google is great source.
Second, I had not considered eating spaghetti squash with a brown sugar syrup over it. That’s how I enjoy my sweet potatoes, or sweet tators, depending on where you come from. Thank you for the idea!
Does anyone else eat their spaghetti squash this way?
Thank you Randi!
There is nothing wrong with the way you eat spaghetti squash. It seems to be the preferred arrangment. So long as you are enjoying the flavors of real food and you're eating your fruits & veggies, you can't go wrong.
Have fun today!
Jill
I’m a newbie to spaghetti squash, but I roasted it in the oven at 400 for about an hour. Scraped it out, drizzled it with some olive oil. Tossed in a little garlic, salt, and pepper. Topped it off with some feta cheese and diced tomatoes. I thought it was delicious!
)
Well Orphy, now you’ve done it. I’m hungry. ;D
Alright, I’ve read enough to go buy another squash. I’ll roast it in the oven and see what I get. I think I’ll try a thicker sauce loaded with vegetables just for good measure.
I really like the taste of spaghetti squash. Besides just putting spaghetti sauce on it, we like it tossed with a bit of butter, garlic and parmesean, or pesto sauce. I’ve used it in a lasagna in place of the noodles and it turned out sooooooooo good. You have to adjust your baking time on that of course, it doesn’t take nearly as long to bake. I use it pretty much like I would use any pasta in a recipe. Because it doesn’t really have much of a taste on it’s own, it’s great to absorb whatever flavors you pair it with. Please, please, try it again!
You’re right, I know you’re right. I’ve got to make it again.
My kids and I love this stuff. We eat it everyday. My daughter is asking for it before we get out of the car, when I pick her up from school.Yes, she’s normal. At work I cook A whole one in the microwave. I eat half and save the other half for the kids( hey we got to save time somewhere. Why not cook half of your dinner at work if you can?)Anyway, we sautee some fresh veggies and herbs, add what ever sauce we have, make a light mixed green salad and tea.SOUP’s on.We are more than satisfied. Once a week we may add a little reduced fat cheese(yummy). My friends love it too. I even made some for my boss’s daughter and I still have a job. Her words:”Delightful and tasty” and I wasn’t trying but lost 10lbs by use this pasta replacement.Which wasn’t what we going for. And yes we eat meat but not much anymore because the squash is sooooooooooo GOOD. LOVE IT.
Good morning Sherri!
I get the feeling you’re a high energy gal. ;D And I like the way you think! So efficient, cooking ahead from work. Genius!
What other tricks do you keep up your sleeves?