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I eat a lot of spaghetti squash. A. Lot. I have been making it since I first saw Martha Stewart feature it on her website in 2006, and I was like, “Girl, you crazy.” But I tried it, and I liked it! Since then, I’ve kept preparing it the way Martha did, and it was a workout trying to hack that squash open. I always stop halfway through to pep talk myself into finishing so I can reap the rewards!

Recently, I mentioned cooking spaghetti squash on Facebook and my friend Molly enlightened me to a much easier way to do it… and the “noodles” were the best I’ve ever experienced!

I’m going to show you the three ways to cook spaghetti squash. There is the hard way (aka the traditional way), the intermediate way, and the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash that blew my mind! I will never go back to the old methods! 

Are you ready to hear about the easiest way to cook spaghetti squash? Here we go! 

 

1. The Hard Way / Traditional Method

Pros: Um… ? I guess I would say the taste of the squash with the olive oil, salt and pepper tastes delicious. 

Cons: Super hard to cut, noodles are short, and the oven heat–along with the long roasting time–is not ideal during hot summer months. 

Cooking Method:

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the squash in half, horizontally. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. Coat with olive oil, then sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Lay squash flat side down and roast for 60 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Use a fork to separate the noodles. 

2. Intermediate Method

Pros: Much easier to cut, noodles are long and actually resemble spaghetti. Tastes delicious with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cons: Long roasting time, high heat not ideal for hot summer days. 

Cooking Method: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice squash into 1-inch rings. Using a basting brush, coat one side with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast for 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Use fork to separate noodles.

3. The Easy Way!

Pros: Using the microwave doesn’t heat up your kitchen! Easy to slice, and takes the least amount of prep work. And if you cut it into rings, you will still get those long noodles that actually resemble spaghetti!

Cons: I personally did not find any. In fact, this came out better than any prior attempt with cooking spaghetti squash I’ve had!

Cooking Method:

Begin by poking several holes (about 12) with a knife all around the squash. Place in a glass dish with about 1/4″ of water to keep the squash from drying out. Microwave in increments of five minutes at a time. After every five minutes, check it by inserting a knife, and if it pulls back out with ease, it is finished. If not, roll the squash over and start for another five minutes. Do not overcook; the noodles will turn to mush.  If needed, add more water to the dish, but make sure it is HOT water so as to not cause the dish to shatter! This will take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. I am usually am done with the cooking process in about 15 minutes.

When the squash is finished cooking, allow it to cool 15-30 minutes. After it is cool enough to touch, slice into one-inch rings. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then use a fork to separate the strands. 

And there you go! Beautiful, long, perfectly cooked spaghetti squash without the hassle!!