When making spaghetti squash there are a few techniques to consider. Your goal is to have slightly al dente strands of spaghetti squash and to avoid making it mushy.
Cutting the squash is half the adventure. It's very firm before it's cooked, so to make it easier to cut you have a few options. The first option is to prick it a few times with a fork or knife and microwave it at one minute intervals until it's easier to cut. The second option is to prick it with a fork or knife a few times and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. The third option is to carefully cut the squash in its raw form, uncooked.
How you cut it is entirely up to you. If there's a stem, cut that off first. Next, you can slice it across the short way or the long way, or slice it a few times across the body of the squash to get rings. If you cut it into more than two pieces it will shorten the cooking time by about five minutes.
After it's cut, you can remove the seeds or wait until after the squash has baked. I tend to do it after because I find it easier to remove them, but either way works. I don't add any salt or oil to the inside or outside of the squash because it can soften the squash and I prefer to season it once it's cooked.
For baking time, I usually limit the time to 20 minutes however if you have a very large squash and haven't cut it into more than two halves you may want to add another five minutes of baking time. If you've cut it into rings you'll want to shorten the baking time about five minutes.
Once the squash is done baking use a fork to separate the strands in the squash and place them into a bowl or plate. It makes a great base for many meals or eat it on its own with some finishing salt and seasonings, olive oil, or add a bit of flavored broth to it.
Simple Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pound spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half or in rings. See the recipes notes on help with slicing it.
- Scoop the seeds out, or leave them in and take them out once the squash is baked.
- Place each half open side facing down on the baking sheet. Pierce the outside of each half with a fork a few times to let moisture escape while baking. If you cut the squash into rings, place each ring on its side.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the squash out of the oven and turn it over to cool.
- Remove the seeds and use a fork to take out all the spaghetti squash.
- Add salt and other seasonings along with some olive oil (optional) or broth.
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