This step by step guide will teach you how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven, in an air fryer, or in the microwave. Using these easy tested and perfected recipes will give you perfectly cooked spaghetti squash every time, no matter which appliance you cook it in!
Use a fork to scrape out all of the seeds from both sides of the squash. Discard the seeds.
Brush olive oil on the inside flesh of the spaghetti squash and season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash, cut side down on a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Place the squash in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven. Use a fork to try to pull the fresh of the squash apart into “spaghetti strands”, if they are tender and easily pull apart, the squash is done cooking and ready to eat. If the squash is still tough and hard to pull apart, put it back in the oven in 5 minute increments, until it’s tender and pulls apart easily.
Microwave Method
Leave the spaghetti squash whole. Use a fork to poke several holes in the squash to release steam as it cooks in the microwave.
Place the squash on a microwave-safe plate and into the microwave for 5 minutes.
Use tongs or an oven mitt to flip the squash over on the plate.
Microwave for an additional 5 minutes.
After 10 minutes, gently squeeze the squash with tongs or an oven mitt. If it’s still hard, with no give, flip the squash and microwave for an additional 2 minutes. Flip and add 2 minutes to the cooking time until the squash is tender. For a 3-4 pound squash, this should take no more than 14 minutes.
After you remove the squash from the microwave, let it cool for 10 minutes.
Slice the bottom off of the spaghetti squash, so that it can easily stand on a cutting board, then slice it in half.
Use a fork to remove the seeds from the squash, then pull the “spaghetti strands” from the squash and serve.
Air Fryer Method
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
Use a fork to scrape out all of the seeds from both sides of the squash. Discard the seeds.
Brush olive oil on the inside flesh of the spaghetti squash and season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash cut side up in an air fryer basket.
Cook in the air fryer at 380°F for 12 minutes.
Use tongs of an oven mitt to flip the squash over in the air fryer basket and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
se a fork to try to pull the fresh of the squash apart into “spaghetti strands”, if they are tender and easily pull apart, the squash is done cooking and ready to eat.
Notes
A 4 pound squash will produce approximately 6 cups of cooked spaghetti squash. The nutritional information provided is for 1 pound of spaghetti squash, which is approximately 1 ½ cups.
If you don’t want any browning on the flesh of the spaghetti squash using the air fryer method, cook it cut side down the entire 24 minutes.
If you want more browning on the flesh of the spaghetti squash using the oven method, simply flip it over and cook it flesh side up for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
To make the spaghetti squash easier to cut, slice off the bottom of the squash so that it can easily stand up on a cutting board. This will make it easier to cut the squash lengthwise. If it's still too difficult to cut, microwave it whole for 5 minutes. This will soften the skin and make it easier to cut.
I recommend using a wire rack when oven roasting the squash, so that any moisture drips out of the squash as it’s roasting and onto the baking sheet. Otherwise, the squash is sitting in the liquid as it cooks and it’s steaming from the inside. The end texture of the squash will be better using this method.
Cutting the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise makes it easier to scoop out the seeds and will give your shorter noodles. If you want longer noodles, slice the squash in half horizontally.
You do not need topeel spaghetti squash before cooking, as the flesh will easily scoop out of the squash once it’s cooked.