I love spaghetti squash and typically cook one every week as part of my food prep. I wanted to share my method for how to cook spaghetti squash with you today because it’s so easy and yields perfect results every time.

I like to cook a spaghetti squash every Sunday to have on hand for recipes and meals all week. You can add it to salads, top it with marinara sauce, use it in your favourite pasta and rice dishes, or just enjoy it as is! I love a bowl of spaghetti squash with salt and pepper for a quick snack, especially before workouts!

Spaghetti Squash Nutrition

Spaghetti squash makes an excellent low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate alternative to wheat pasta. One cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides about 42 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 9% of your daily fibre and a host of important nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and potassium.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Step One. Get the oven ready.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Step Two. Chop squash.

Chop spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a large knife.

Step 3. Scoop out seeds.

Scrape out seeds and gunky inner parts with a spoon.

Step 4. Place on pan.

Place the squash face up on baking tray.

Step. 5. Add seasoning.

This step is optional. Your spaghetti squash will taste delicious just on its own but if you like you can, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. If you plan to add the cooked squash to another recipe or mix it with sauce, there’s no need to add salt and pepper. You can always add seasoning after it’s cooked as well.

Note: I don’t use any oil when I roast mine but if you prefer you can brush each half with about 1/2 tsp of olive oil. I don’t find it gets too dry without oil but using oil will prevent it from drying out at all. Up to you! Try both methods and see which you prefer, personally, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Step 6. Roast the squash.

Roast in the oven for 30-50 minutes. This will depend on the size of your squash, an average sized squash will take about 40 minutes. If it’s small, check it after 20-30 minutes. To check if it’s ready, remove it from the oven and try dragging a fork across the flesh. If it easily starts to peel away, it’s done. If it’s still hard, put it back in the oven. Once it’s tender and you can peel the strands away with a fork, it’s ready.

Step 7. Create the squash noodles.

Using a fork, scrape the squash into strands. I like to wait for it to cool down, making this part a lot easier! Now it’s ready for using in recipes or just eating!

What to do with Spaghetti Squash

• eat spaghetti squash noodles on their own with a little salt and pepper
• for a super quick meal, top cooked spaghetti squash with your favorite pasta sauce and nutritional yeast
• make stuffed squash by filling the noodled squash with other roasted veggies and some beans or lentils
• toss the noodles with black beans and avocado
• mix the noodles with steamed broccoli and chickpeas and top with my satay sauce
• try it mixed with baked tofu
• try corn, black bean, bell pepper, cilantro and onion stuffed squash and top with my chipotle sauce
• try it with my lentil taco filling
• add it to any buddha bowl

Spaghetti Squash Recipes

• Easy Vegan Spaghetti Squash Noodles
• Low Fat Pesto Spaghetti Squash

So that’s how to cook spaghetti squash! Well, that’s how I do it anyways. I prefer roasting it at a higher temperature, face up, rather than baking it on a pan face down. I find this method yields a much better flavour and texture for perfect spaghetti squash every time.