How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
Once you learn our method for how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven, you'll never go back. This technique is easy, totally foolproof, and gives you perfectly al dente golden strands every single time (no mushy squash here!)
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
- ⏰ Prep Time: 50 minutes (lots of it is hands-off)
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Incredibly mild, making it a great empty sheet to carry any sauces or toppings.
- 🍝 Perfect Texture: Properly cooked spaghetti squash really does have the glorious texture of regular spaghetti noodles. We've nailed down a foolproof method!
- 💪 Health Benefits: Like lots of winter squash, spaghetti squash is packed with fiber, Vitamins A and B6, and betacarotene.
- 🍽️ Dietary Needs: Spaghetti squash is gluten-free, paleo, and grain-free, so it meets lots of dietary needs.
- 🧡 Difficulty: Easy. We'll show you everything we know to avoid mushy noodles!
"OMG, this method is da bomb!!! Never knew I was cutting it wrong, cooking it wrong, and never thought of salting it first. Sweet, tender but not mush, and everything I always heard it should be!"
- ALLEN -
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- 🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
- 🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🔪 The Ingredients You Need
- 📷 How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
- 🙋🏻♀️ How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- 🍝 Ways to Use These Spaghetti Squash Noodles
- 🍁 More Winter Squash Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Until I learned this method for cooking spaghetti squash, I thought it just wasn't my thing. The noodles always came out mushy! But then my friend Beth taught me the secret to better spaghetti squash noodles: cutting the squash lengthwise. After many rounds of testing, I've landed on the perfect technique for roasting spaghetti squash.
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Goldilocks would love 'em: The noodles are not too hard, not too soft-they're just right. This method will give you spaghetti squash noodles that are long, tender, al dente, and not at all mushy.
- A blank canvas: Spaghetti squash is one of the most mildly flavored of the winter squashes. It has a very slight sweet squash flavor-imagine a super watered down butternut squash. This mild flavor makes it a great vehicle for all kinds of your favorite sauces and toppings, from marinara to creamy mushroom gravy to turkey meatballs with spinach.
- A tried-and-true recipe: After dozens of rounds of testing, I've perfected a cooking method for spaghetti squash. Now we eat it at least once a week in the fall and winter! You can trust that I won't steer you wrong.
🔪 The Ingredients You Need
- Spaghetti squash: Looking at a big spaghetti squash, you'll probably be tempted to grab a big 'ole chef's knife and start cutting into the squash. But trust us-you'll want to swap it out for a sharp paring knife. The smaller knife gives you more control cutting through the squash skin, and you're less likely to end up rushing for a bandage.
- Salt: Coarse sea salt will work best, but really, any salt will do the trick. It's really just there to draw some of the moisture out of the squash before you roast it-that's one of the secrets to perfectly cooked spaghetti squash noodles!
- Oil: Any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work. We are partial to avocado oil, but olive oil, safflower oil, or grapeseed oil are great, too.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.
📷 How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
Step 1: So many people see a big, hard spaghetti squash and grab their biggest, baddest knife and then...get it stuck. A big knife is not the way to cut a spaghetti squash! Instead, the easiest way to cut a spaghetti squash is to use a small, sharp paring knife and work your way around the skin of the squash. It takes a bit longer, but the risk of cutting a finger off is much lower. You'll want to cut cross-wise, so you are cutting the squash into 1-2" thick rings.
Step 2: Scrape the seeds and stringy guts of the squash out of each ring. As a bonus snack, you can wash and roast the seeds just like you would homemade pumpkin seeds!
Step 3: Lay the squash rings on a clean kitchen towel, and sprinkle all over with sea salt. Letting cut spaghetti squash sit with coarse salt on it for 15-20 minutes draws out a TON of moisture from inside the squash. Less moisture equals less mushy noodles.
Step 4: Use a second clean towel (or a paper towel) to wipe the salt and water off the squash slices. Brush both sides of each slice with oil, and arrange the slices on a baking sheet in a single layer, and roast at 425°F until fork tender.
Step 5: Let those squash ring babies chill on the counter until they are cool enough to handle. After all that work to avoid cutting ourselves, we don't need to turn around and scorch our fingers!
Step 6: Use a fork to scrape the "noodles" out of each ring and fluff them up. Well-roasted spaghetti squash should have an al dente bite to it, without a hint of mushiness.
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🙋🏻♀️ How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven FAQs
If a recipe tells you to roast spaghetti squash at anything less than 425°F, step away! Anything less than that and the spaghetti squash steams in the oven instead of roasting. Steamed spaghetti squash means soggy spaghetti squash. High heat is the way to go; it results in al dente noodles and caramelized squash. Yum!
I've tried every single method for cooking spaghetti squash out there, and I can safely say that the best way to cook spaghetti squash is to roast it in the oven. Yes, it takes longer. Yes, you actually have to keep an eye on it. But it's worth it! Why? Well, your goal with roasting spaghetti squash (or honestly, any veggie) is to get rid of as much moisture as possible. The oven allows that to happen.
The two key things to remember to make your squash come out less watery are: 1) Salt the spaghetti squash first to draw out moisture and 2) Roast at 425°F (no lower than that!). : Letting cut spaghetti squash sit with coarse salt on it for 15-20 minutes draws out a TON of moisture from inside the squash. Less moisture equals less mushy noodles.
Roast at 425°F:
👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- Cut the squash cross-wise. Lots of people's instinct is to cut the squash in half lengthwise-stop! You're cutting right through the strings that make the noodles, making your noodles half the length they could be. Instead, cut your spaghetti squash into rings for the best spaghetti squash noodles.
- Put down the big knife: Instead, pick up a sharp paring knife. Large knives tend to get stuck inside of hard-skinned squash like spaghetti squash. You'll have much more luck (and much fewer cuts) if you work your way around the spaghetti squash with a smaller knife.
- Salt is essential: The salting step pulls some of the moisture out of the squash before you roast it. That way, you're roasting the rings, not steaming them-which takes away any potential mushiness!
🍝 Ways to Use These Spaghetti Squash Noodles
With its mild flavor, spaghetti squash noodles are a great blank canvas for so many toppings and sauces. Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- Classic spaghetti and meatballs, but with squash-I typically use spaghetti sauce for canning that I put up over the summer with baked chicken meatballs. Going for a plant-based meal? This vegan meatballs recipe works well too!
- With pesto and turkey meatballs with spinach.
- As a base for Instant Pot Swedish meatballs.
- In place of the zoodles for this sausage and peppers pasta.
- Use them as a base for healthy chicken stir-fry or this pumpkin curry recipe.
- And so, so much more!
🍁 More Winter Squash Recipes
If you tried this tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- Coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil avocado, grapeseed, safflower, or olive oil all work well
Instructions
- Using a sharp paring knife, slice the spaghetti squash into 1-2" horizontal rings-like donuts. Cut out the inside seeds and strings and discard.
- Lay the squash rings on a clean kitchen towel, then sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to release some of the water in the squash.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Set aside.
- Using another clean towel, wipe off the excess water and salt. Brush both sides of each ring with oil. Place the rings on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender, but not mushy.
- Remove squash from the oven and let it cool to the touch, about 30 minutes. Then use a fork to remove the noodles from the skin and fluff. Serve with your favorite sauce and toppings.
Video
Notes
- Slicing the squash into rings will give you the longest, most spaghetti-like noodles.
- For safety, use a small paring knife to cut your spaghetti squash instead of a large chef's knife! Your first aid kit will thank you.
- Don't skip the salting step! It draws out moisture so that your noodles aren't mushy.
This is now the ONLY way we ever cook the spaghetti squash in our CSA. Before, it always felt like we were eating squash mush, but now the spaghetti squash actually has the texture of spaghetti!
First time trying spaghetti squash to replace noodles but it was quite strange. At first glance it looked very mushy. Everything in clumps. Mixing in sauce makes everything look and feel even more mushy. However, once eating it, it's somehow both mushy and has a bite. I'd like it with less bite, softer, but not as mushy feeling. Certainly not like noodles at all. It doesnt have that "springy" texture.
Thank you for showing a better way to do spaghetti Squash. I will most likely do it for 15 minutes though. The reason for this is due to the fact that once cooled to touch, I will separate and place on dehydrating trays. This way I can preserve for long term.
Let me preface this by saying I love pasta. Every time I tried a veggie substitute (I’ve even tried shirataki noodles) it’s been a huge let down. I have tried zucchini as a pasta replacement and NOPE! I was skeptical about trying spaghetti squash as a replacement...I thought here we go again. But this came out really great. I loved it. Thank you for posting this method.
So glad you're happy with the way it turned out, Alisha! Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it!
I think the "KEY" to this is the temperature. Like you, I have heard a lot of folks who have tried but were very disappointed with the end result. I don't think they were actually had the temperature high enough.
Tried this method --- Loved this method!!! My family was convinced that they wouldn't like spaghetti squash because it was going to mushy and not taste good and taste like over cooked zucchini. Did this method and served it under turkey meatballs and chunky tomato sauce. Next time.... will have to buy a bigger spaghetti squash and everyone asked.... "Is there any more?!" Thanks for the method!!!!
Yay! Thanks so much for letting us know, Jamie! We're so happy you and your family loved it =)
This was my first time using spaghetti squash. I was choosing an acorn squash, when a woman picked up a spaghetti squash nearby. I asked her how to cook it, and she enthusiastically told me her method. So I thought, why not try it? At home, I did a Google search and found your great instructions. Well... one thing I discovered almost immediately was that if I do this again I’m going use a power hatchet instead of my paring knife. I literally had sweat dripping off my face by the time I’d cut all the slices. Judging from the amount of liquid that collected in my pan, the kosher salt was an important step. I rinsed and dried the slices instead of wiping them because I’m not a fan of salt. The rest of the job went well. No mushiness, just great “noodles”. I used a spaghetti sauce with them, but with the rest of them that are in the fridge, I’m planning on making a salad.
I finally just heaved it at the floor a couple times and it broke apart nicely.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
After too many years of hating this squash for being bland mush, I can't believe you just taught me the right way to cook it....and love it! OMG, this method is da bomb!!! Never knew I was cutting it wrong, cooking it wrong, and never thought of salting it first. Sweet, tender but not mush, and everything I always heard it should be! To anyone debating about it....follow this base recipe and LOVE IT!!
Hooray! Spaghetti squash is super delicious and we're so happy this helped you cook up the good stuff! Thanks for your feedback, Allen!
I tried them today. Best Spaghetti Squash recipe ever!!! I followed directions to the T (although I never like to bake with oven above 400º 😉 and avoided all mistakes. Perfect result! Neither soggy, nor steamed, caramelized and delicious. Thank you!!!!!
Hooray! That's what we like to hear!
Just curious as to why you don't want to use your oven above 400 degrees.
Hi, I’ve been a Executive Chef for 45 years (recently retired) and the last time I cooked spaghetti squash is was so mushy it was almost unedited. I was cutting lengthwise and baking flesh side down. I can’t wait to try this technique. It makes perfect sense. Thanks
Enjoy!
I’m so glad I tried this way of roasting spaghetti squash. It was so good!
Great and lovely recipe. I'm also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I started a marathon training with SportMe, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
Gotta say I’m all about steaming it in a pot on the stove. It doesn’t have to be mushy at all, just Steam it for less time. Mine is done in 15 mins start to finish. Ain’t nobody got time for roasting. Haha
Thank you for sharing your method of roasted spaghetti squash... Can I just say two things?
#1. DELISH! We gobbled this right up and were filled but not "uncomfortably full"....the flavor was incredible!
#2. This for me, is along the lines of "Life Changing"! I loved traditional pasta spaghetti but it did not love me back... This brings one of my all-time favourite meals back into my life; in a whole new, delicious way!
You've gained a new subscriber. 😊
Thank you, again!
Yay! We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us how helpful this was, Tamara. Thanks so much!