Bake Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a healthy, unique vegetable that shreds into spaghetti-like strands after being cooked. There are multiple ways to cook this squash, but baking is one of the most common. A spaghetti squash can be baked whole in halves. You can also fill the squash with various seasonings in order to flavor it as it bakes. Here's what you need to know about the process.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Plain Spaghetti Squash

  • 1 4-lb (1800-g) spaghetti squash
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste

Sweet and Savory Spaghetti Squash

  • 1 4-lb (1800-g) spaghetti squash
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
  • 6 Tbsp (90 ml) butter
  • 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) ground cinnamon
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) honey
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Italian seasoning

Steps

Baking Whole[1]

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a layer of aluminum foil.
  2. Pierce the spaghetti squash. Use a sharp serrated knife to pierce the spaghetti squash a dozen times or so.
    • The skin of a spaghetti squash is very thick, so you will need a heavy, sharp serrated knife to break through it in the squash's uncooked state.
    • Piercing the skin allows the squash to vent as it cooks. You could try baking it without piercing the skin, first, but the risk involved is that pressure could build up inside the squash and cause it to burst.
  3. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes. Place the squash on your prepared baking sheet and bake in your preheated oven until done.
    • The squash is done once you can pierce through the skin easily with a small paring knife. You should also be able to pierce the skin with a fork, but there may still be a little resistance when using a fork.
  4. Cut the squash open. Hold the spaghetti squash down with one hand, using a towel or oven mitt to protect your hand from getting burned. With your dominant hand, cut the squash through from one end to the other, using a serrated knife.
    • You may want to wait 10 to 15 minutes before cutting the squash open so that the skin becomes cool enough to touch without getting burned.
  5. Remove the seeds. Open the squash up and dig out the seeds and pulp using two forks.
    • Do not scrape the sides of the squash. The seeds and pulp in the center of the squash are not edible, but the strands of squash you can scrape from the sides are.
  6. Scrape out the "spaghetti." Scrape around the entire perimeter of the squash, separating the "spaghetti" strands from the inside of the skin.
    • Continue scraping until all of the flesh has formed "spaghetti."
    • Lift the scraped flesh out into a mixing bowl or serving platter using your two forks.
  7. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper to serve. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to the cooked "spaghetti." Toss with your forks to coat thoroughly and serve warm.

Baking in Halves[2]

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line an oven-proof dish with aluminum foil.
    • The dish should be about twice as large are the squash itself since you will need to fit two halves in it. If you do not have a large enough dish for the entire squash, you can use two smaller dishes, instead.
  2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half. Use a heavy serrated knife to cut the squash in half from top to bottom.
    • The skin will be fairly thick, so you will need to use a sawing motion to split the squash in half.
  3. Remove the seeds. Dig the seeds and stringy pulp out with a sturdy metal spoon or ice cream scoop.
    • Discard the seeds.
  4. Drizzle the squash with olive oil. Pour your olive oil over the cut sides of both halves. Use your fingers to rub the oil evenly over the surface of the exposed flesh.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the squash.
    • Use about 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt and 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pepper. You can use more if you prefer a stronger flavor, though.
  6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Place the squash cut-side-down in your prepared baking dish. Bake until done.
    • The squash is done once the flesh becomes tender enough to scrape into spaghetti-like strings.
  7. Shred the flesh and serve. Use two forks to shred the flesh of the cooked squash into "spaghetti." Transfer to serving platters and enjoy hot.
    • Scrape out as much of the flesh as possible, leaving skin fairly hollowed out.

Sweet and Savory Baked Spaghetti Squash[3]

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius). Pull out a 9- by 13-inch (23- by 33-cm) baking dish and set aside until ready to use.
  2. Cut the squash in halves and remove the seeds. Use a serrated knife to cut the squash in half from top to bottom. Dig out the seeds and stringy pulp with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop.
    • Use a sawing motion to cut through the thick uncooked skin of the spaghetti squash.
  3. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and half of the butter in one half. Use a fork or spoon to thoroughly mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper inside one hollowed-out half of the squash. Add 3 Tbsp (45 ml) of butter over the spice mix in even dollops.
    • The salt and pepper should be added according to taste, but a dash of each should suffice for most.
  4. Combine the remaining butter, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cheese, salt, and pepper in the other half. Toss the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in the other hollowed-out half. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp (45 ml) butter over the cheese mix in even dollops.
    • Use a dash each of salt and pepper, or more as desired.
  5. Place both halves and the broth in a baking dish. Position the spaghetti squash halves side-by-side in your baking dish. Pour the vegetable broth over both halves, allowing it to drip off into the sides of the pan.
    • The halves must be in a single layer. They can touch, but they cannot overlap.
  6. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake in your preheated oven until tender.
    • Cover the pan loosely so that spaghetti squash is able to vent.
    • Test the tenderness of the squash by sticking a fork into the exposed portion of the flesh. It should immediately begin to flake into strands.
  7. Scrape into strands. Use two forks to scrape the flesh into "spaghetti" strands. Toss the strands gently inside the shell once separated.
    • You may need to let the spaghetti squash rest 5 to 10 minutes before handling.
  8. Garnish and serve separately. Drizzle the "sweet" half with honey and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning over the "savory" half. Serve warm.
    • Do not combine the halves. Serve the sweet "spaghetti" directly from one half and the savory "spaghetti" directly from the other half.
  9. Finished.



Tips

  • You can use spaghetti squash as a substitute for actual spaghetti. Top it with your favorite spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce to create a low-carb alternative for the classic comfort food.

Things You'll Need

  • Baking pan or baking sheet
  • Aluminum foil
  • Serrated knife
  • Paring knife
  • Metal spoon or metal ice cream scoop
  • Two forks

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/02/how-to-bake-spaghetti-squash/
  2. ↑ http://startcooking.com/spaghetti-squash
  3. ↑ http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/fast-recipes/sweet---savory-spaghetti-squash

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