How to Roast a Spaghetti Squash Whole
Published Sep 06, 2024โขUpdated Oct 14, 2024
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No more wasting time (and risking cutting yourself) by slicing into a slippery spaghetti squash before it’s been cooked. Just roast it whole and move on with your day! Keep reading for everything you need to know about how to roast a spaghetti squash whole.

When I first shared this method on Instagram, it quickly got over 40,000 views and hundreds of comments from people who didn’t know that they could skip the step of slicing into a hard spaghetti squash before roasting it. Not only does this save a ton of time, but it minimizes mess and yields tender strands of spaghetti squash every time.
The Search for the Best Cooking Method
Over the years, I’ve tried every method of cooking spaghetti squash from the Instant Pot, to the slow cooker, to the oven, to the microwave. For a long time I believed that the goal of cooking spaghetti squash was to enhance its flavor, but it turns out that spaghetti squash doesn’t have much flavor no matter how you cook it! That’s what makes it such a useful ingredient. It quickly adapts to any other ingredients you add to it and is a blank canvas for sauces and seasonings.
Why this Method Works
The goal with cooking spaghetti squash is to get the strands tender while they still hold their shape. And I’m here to tell you that the best way to achieve that is through roasting it whole. When you roast the squash whole, it steams inside its shell, trapping critical moisture and heat that are critical to tenderizing the squash strands.
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Pin It NowHow to Do It
Pierce the spaghetti squash all over with a knife. Place it in a casserole dish. Bake at 400° F until golden brown and tender all the way through, 40 to 50 minutes. Let the squash cool completely. Scrape out the strands and they’re ready to use in any recipe.
Ways to Use Spaghetti Squash
- As a replacement for pasta – just add your favorite sauce! (or serve them right in the squash shells as spaghetti squash bowls)
- In carbonara
- With kale and chickpeas
- To make spaghetti squash casserole
- In place of butternut squash to make this no-noodle lasagna
- As egg nests (one of my favorite fall breakfasts)
How to Store Spaghetti Squash
Once the squash is roasted, let it cool completely. Scrape out the spaghetti squash strands. Pack them tightly into freezer-safe bags, remove as much air as possible, and seal them well. Spaghetti squash can be frozen for up to 6 months.
If you have more questions about spaghetti squash, be sure to check out my Spaghetti Squash Page.
More Easy Vegetable Recipes
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Pin It NowHow to Roast a Spaghetti Squash Whole
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (3 to 4 pounds total; see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Using a sharp knife, pierce the skin of the squash on all sides.
- Place the squash in a casserole dish (you can line the dish with foil first to make clean-up easier).
- Bake until deep golden brown on the outside and a knife inserted into the squash easily breaks through the skin and strands inside (you want it to easily slide all the way into the center of the squash. This should take 40 to 47 minutes for a 3-4 pound squash. (See note below for other sizes.)
- Let the squash cool completely before slicing it in half through the center (not stem-to-stem, just through the skin). Carefully scrape out and discard the seeds. Then use a large fork to pull out the squash strands, gently teasing them apart. Use right away in any recipe that calls for spaghetti squash or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.