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Since this is the easiest recipe, I mean it has easiest in the title, there are literally only 2 steps.
- 1 Large Spaghetti Squash that fits inside your Instant Pot liner
- 1 cup Water
You simply cook the squash for 30 minutes and then it is all good to go. I love that it is that simple and everyone will love this delicious recipe.
How To Choose Best Spaghetti Squash
They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, including ivory, yellow and orange. Orange squash has the highest amount of beta carotene.
When shopping for spaghetti squash, look for thick, hard skin and no soft spots. Choose a squash that is heavy for its size. Choose unblemished clean squash with the dry stem intact.
Place The Squash In The Instant Pot With 1 Cup Water
Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pot. Place both halves into the pressure cooker. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot .
Note: Because spaghetti squash are so large, you can only cook one at a time in a pressure cooker. If youre looking to cook more than one squash, use the baked method. Go to Roasted Spaghetti Squash.
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Instant Pot Recipes Made Simple
Do you wish you could find one-pot meals that are simple and easy to make and your family will love?
Youre about to find out how simple it is to make healthy, one-pot meals with your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker with my cookbook Instant Pot Recipes Made Simple. You can download it instantly to your phone, computer or e-reader, so its portable and can go with you anywhere!
With this book, youll get:
- Tried-and-true recipes the whole family will love including pot roast, spaghetti, tacos, carnitas, soups, and easy breakfast meals
- Instant Pot starter guide on how to use the buttons, tips and tricks, and more
- Printable shopping lists for ingredients
- Step-by-step video lesson on how to use your Instant Pot, pressure cooker safety, and some of my favorite tips and tricks
- Two-week meal plan that you can put into action for no-stress weeknight dinners
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Cooking Tips
- If your spaghetti squash is very large it will take longer to cook. Try adding 3 to 5 minutes to the cook time, depending on the size of your squash. A very large spaghetti squash may not fit in a 6 quart Instant Pot.
- If you open your Instant Pot after cooking and the squash isnt cooked enough for your tastes, you can pressure cook it for a few more minutes. Check that there is enough water left in the bottom of the pot before doing a second pressure cooking cycle. The pot should come to pressure faster the second time, since it will already be hot.
- When serving, you can use a fork to scoop the strands of spaghetti squash out onto a plate or bowl, or you can add toppings to the squash and serve it right in its skin.
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Why You Should Eat Spaghetti Squash
If you are looking to add a perfect low carb vegetarian option to your diet, spaghetti squash is an excellent choice. It is low in calories but high in fiber. It also is beta-carotene, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6 rich vegetable.
According to the USDA, 100 grams of spaghetti squash contains 6.91 grams of carbs, and 1.5 grams of fiber, making it a good choice for those who are trying to cut down on their carb intake.
A single serving of spaghetti squash only contains about 68 calories. Yet it is filling and nutritionally efficient. Low calorie count aids in weight loss. Compare that to regular spaghetti or pasta and you know why it is so good for you !
Next time you get the craving for a spaghetti dish, save yourself the calories and carbs. Make this versatile and healthy vegetarian Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash recipe instead.
It is also very economical and budget friendly vegetable. Spaghetti Squash are plentiful and super reasonably priced. They are hardy vegetables that can stay in well ventilated pantry for up-to 2 months. So, buy it often, cook it and savor them in multiple dishes.
How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Whole
To cook a whole spaghetti squash in the instant pot:
Use a small knife to poke several holes all around the spaghetti squash.
Place the steamer basket in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the squash on top of the basket and close the lid. Turn the vent to SEALED and set to 15 minutes on high pressure for 15 minutes.
Use the quick release when finished. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
Use a large knife to cut the squash in half vertically then use a fork to shred into long spaghetti noodles.
Cut lengthwise:
Slice your spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds.
Place the steamer basket in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the squash halves cut side up on top of the basket then coat with avocado oil or olive oil. You can also season with salt and close the lid. Turn the vent to SEALED and set to 8 minutes.
Use the quick release when finished. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes then use a fork to shred into long spaghetti noodles.
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How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Step By Step
Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Open the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water.
Stack the spaghetti squash on top of each other, cut-side up.
Close the lid and make sure the vent on the top of the lid is closed.
Set to manual, high-pressure for 5 minutes.
When the timer goes off, turn the vent on the top of the lid to release the steam.
Wait about 5 minutes for the steam and pressure to dissipate.
Open the lid and test the spaghetti squash. Fork to turn squash into spaghetti-like noodles. Take a bite to test that its done. You can always cook for another 1-2 minutes on high pressure if needed.
How To Make The Spaghetti Squash In The Oven
Preheat oven to 400 F Cut the squash lengthwise in the middle. Using a fork, poke the outer skin few places.
Place the squash face down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or in a glass baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Squash is ready when you can easily separate the stands.
Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the squash. Let it cool down before handling. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and middle membranes. Use the tines of the forks and move it around so the spaghetti like strands start to fall off.
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How To Cut Spaghetti Squash
I like to use a sharp knife to slice this hard squash in half lengthwise. Typically my knife gets stuck in the hard shell, so when that happens Ill lift the squash by the knife handle and then hit it on the cutting board, so that the knife will continue the cut through the shell. Once you get most of the shell cut, the rest of the shell can be split in half by pulling the halves apart with your hands.
Tip: For longer spaghetti strands, cut the shell the other way, crosswise.
Cook A Whole Squash In An Electric Pressure Cooker
The electric pressure cooker can steam a whole two-pound squash in about 15 minutes. Remember that most electric pressure cookers need time to come up to pressure and release pressure post-cooking, so this technique takes about 35 minutes from start to finish depending on your cooker.
Add one cup of water to the cooker and then set its steamer basket or a metal trivet inside the pot as well. Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife, making about a dozen 1/2-inch vents for the steam to penetrate the squashs skin. Then add the squash to the electric pressure cooker, set for 15 minutes on high pressure, and cook away. When your 15 minutes is up, release the pressure and remove the squash. Give the squash at least 10 minutes to cool before halving and shredding.
Get Longer Spaghetti Squash Strands
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Why We Should Love Spaghetti Squash
- It is sooooo versatile! Make it sweet, savory, spicy, whatever! It will work. Its a blank, mildly flavored canvas just waiting for you to create your masterpiece
- Its full of fiber, low in carbs, high in nutrients and protein, and if were gonna compare it to pasta, it contains about 30 calories for one cup compared to most pasta that is easily over 100 calories
- It stores for a long time. If its fresh, youll be able to store it in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. However, when I talked to a guy at the Farmers Market, he says they last him until spring. Im not gonna say this is right, just passin along his recommendations and I will test his theory this winter
Is Spaghetti Squash Good For Meal Prep
Yes. Spaghetti squash is my favorite side dish for prepping! You can get anywhere from 1-6 servings from a squash, depending on the size.
After cooking, I like to allow my squash to completely cool on a baking sheet before cutting it and separating it into meal prep containers. You can store your cooked squash in the fridge for up to 6 days or in the freezer for about two months.
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What People Are Saying About This Recipe
All Instant Pots are variable, so we sent this pressure cooker spaghetti squash method to a few recipe testers before sharing it with you. It received rave reviews! Heres what people are saying about this method of how to cook spaghetti squash:
- The Instant Pot cooking of the spaghetti squash was awesome! It was perfectly cooked, not over. I even had a large spaghetti squash and it was thoroughly cooked! Ill make spaghetti squash spaghetti like this always! Way better than roasting for an hour. -Kristi
- The spaghetti squash still had a bit of crunch or al dente taste in a good way. It was very easy for me to shred/scoop out after getting it out of the Instant Pot. I will put it in the Instant Pot rotation! -Claire
How To Prepare Spaghetti Squash
- Scrape out the seeds and stringy bits in the center with a spoon .
Pro Tip: Instead of discarding the seeds, you can roast them like pumpkin seeds!
Place 1 cup of cold water and a trivet in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
Place Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot on the steamer rack.
With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
Pressure cook spaghetti squash:
- For Al Dente Spaghetti Squash : High Pressure for 6 minutes + Quick Release
- For Softer Spaghetti Squash: High Pressure for 8 minutes + Quick Release
After the pressure cooking cycle, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.
Open the lid carefully.
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Serving Storing Freezing & Reheating
Serving: Top with meat sauce, just some butter, and Parmesan, or Instant Pot bolognese, and you will never miss carb-filled spaghetti again.
Storing: Spaghetti squash will keep in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.
Freezing: There are ways to freeze spaghetti squash if absolutely necessary. A lot of it depends on how much excess water you can get out because it has a lot! If you freeze it without getting rid of the excess you will end up with super soggy squash.
For that reason, I dont recommend freezing it. The great thing about spaghetti squash is that raw squash lasts for months! So there is no need to use it before you are ready.
Reheating: You can reheat it on the stovetop using a bit of water or some butter to heat through. You can also microwave it.
For Years I Roasted My Squash But Recently I Found A Better Method I Started Cooking It In My Instant Pot Pressure Cooker No Need To Cut Or Deseed Before Baking Just Stick It Whole Inside Of The Pot And Cook
The skin can be rather tough to cut through making roasting a less than preferable method. The skin peels right off and youre left with a bunch of yummy stringy squash! I usually eat my spaghetti squash under my homemade spaghetti sauce. It is the perfect easy dinner I have always been on the hunt for.
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The Best Healthy Spaghetti Squash Recipes Ever
- Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce swap the pasta here for spaghetti squash and top with mozzarella and brown it under the broiler
To make this marinara version, just use your favorite marinara sauce , mix it with your shredded squash, top it with another dollop of sauce. Mix together equal parts of parm and panko, add a sprinkle of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir a little bit of oil over the mixture, just to coat it, then sprinkle it on top of your spaghetti boats. Throw it under the broiler until its nicely browned, Voila!
You are going to LOVE this easy-peasy method of making spaghetti squash. Perfect for when youre feeling like a healthy eating rock star, not when youre wanting a giant bowl of fat-laden alfredo pasta cause that needs a permanent place in all of our lives at some point too.
Enjoy!
- 1 small to medium spaghetti squash
How To Freeze Spaghetti Squash
Where I live, a spaghetti squash costs as much as an arm and a leg. And I had way too much spaghetti squash after I cooked it. So, obviously, I froze it peeps.
To freeze the cooked squash, follow these steps-
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How Can I Cut A Spaghetti Squash
Start by washing and drying a medium spaghetti squash.
Second, make sure you have a large, sharp food knife to slice the squash either in half vertically or horizontally into rings.
I find it much easier to cut the squash horizontally into rings. The squash cooks much quicker and the strands end up longer. If youre not making a stuffed spaghetti squash recipe, then feel free to choose whichever method you like best.
Afraid of to cut spaghetti squash? Another option is to poke a few holes in it and stick it in the Instant Pot this helps to soften the outer skin making it much easier to cut.
How To Cook It In The Instant Pot:
Tip: A 3 pound spaghetti squash fits really well into a 6 quart Instant Pot. I have fit a 4 pound one in once, but this really depends on the shape of the squash. The larger they are, youre running the risk the squash will be too long to fit into the Instant Pot.
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How Long Can You Store Spaghetti Squash
You can store the uncooked squash for months in a cool location. After you cook the squash, Ive kept it stored in the fridge for up to a week with good results! I find its slightly more moist after storing it pre-cooked, but it can be a time-saver when making a casserole like the Spinach & Artichoke Casserole in No Excuses Detox, or the Cheesy Jalapeno Casserole in Everyday Detox.
Spaghetti squash can be a great side dish, or act as a pasta or shredded potato substitute. I hope youll enjoy it more often now with this fast cooking method!
To Cook Halved Spaghetti Squash:
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