How to cook Spaghetti Squash (my favorite way) in the Instant Pot with no oil and perfect al dente strands every time! low carb, oil free, healthy meal.
Today I have a โBack to Basicsโ post to share with you, if you're wondering what that means? Well I started a category on here for posts that really arenโt โrecipesโ they're more like โhow toโsโ example: how to cook spaghetti squash or how to make zucchini noodles things that fall into that category if ya know what Iโm mean?! A โResourcesโ area I guess, but with a much funner name! Alright lets get right into this post.
Spaghetti Squash is a great alternative to regular pasta, itโs low in calories but high in fiber, which means itโs low on the GI Index scoring around 20 vs pasta being at around 50โฆ donโt get me wrong I definitely love my pasta but sometimes itโs a nice low GI alternative. Spaghetti Squash is also packing a healthy punch of some vitamins and minerals such as manganese, vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. It also contains small amounts of folate, calcium, iron, thiamine and magnesium. Now lets move on to how we slice it, cook it and how long to cook spaghetti squash for each method!
How to Slice Spaghetti Squash
1. Make sure you always keep your fingers far away from the knife ALWAYS! If you feel like itโs a bit wobbly you can place in on a kitchen towel for extra stability or if you feel unsafe you can always ask someone else to cut it for you, never do anything that feels unsafe!
2. I like to poke my knife straight into the center, once itโs in I just try to wiggle/rock it moving my knife slowly down the center, it will stack to crack and break and once you have enough sliced (about ยพ of it) you can just carefully pull the knife out and just break it open the rest of the way. Then scoop out the seeds and move on the your preferred method of cooking your spaghetti squash!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
There are several different methods to cooking a spaghetti squash, baking or roasting, microwaving and my favorite the instant pot so lets talk about a these methods and a quick run down on them!
Baking
This is probably the most common method, you simply slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and salt and place it face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, poke some hols on the top and bake for about 45 minutes at 400ห F for a medium sized approx. 3 pound squash.
Microwaving
A little scary in my opinion! You take the whole spaghetti squash and place it in the microwave to a couple minutes (2-4) just to soften it up, then remove it and slice it length wise (the long way just like baking) NOTE: be careful to not heat it to much because steam can build inside and make it hot and dangerous to cut open, theaterโs what I mean when I said โscaryโ above! Once itโs sliced and the seeds ands copped out you place it in a baking dish face down with about 1 inch of water and poke some holes on the top, continue to microwave for another 10 minutes or so until its soft and tender.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
My FAVORITE way because it's SO easy and super quick. You literally just wash and slice your spaghetti squash in half (the short way this time not the long way- reference the video) scoop out the seeds, place the steamer rack in your instant pot, pour in about 1 ยฝ- 2 cups water on the bottom and place your squash in the pot!
Place the lid on top, make sure its turned to โsealingโ on the top nozzle, click pressure cook for 7 minutes on high pressure and do a quick release right when itโs done!
As soon as the little valve pops down saying itโs safe to open you can open the lid and use some tongs to pull the two pieces out to cool down or simply just let them cool in the pot!
And there yaโ go how to make spaghetti squash my FAVORITE oil free, super quick no fuss way thatโll surly have you enjoying it more often!
My favorite easy Spaghetti Squash Recipes:
- Literally just top with your favorite pasta or marinara like my Homemade Tomato Basil Oregano Marinara Sauce (this is the BEST so YUM)
- Add to a bowl of lettuce and chopped raw or lightly cooked veggies (mushroom, onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, tomato and avocado)
- Place cooked spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and top with vegan cheese and bread crumbs- place in the oven for like 10 minutes on 400หF just to melt the cheese and bake the bread crumbs! Viola cheesy spaghetti bake.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 3 pounds spaghetti squash
- 1 ยฝ - 2 cups water
Instructions
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half the short way around (lay it on itโs side and slice across the center) scoop out the seeds.
- Place a steamer rack in your Instant Pot and add the water to the bottom.
- Place the two halves in the pot, secure the lid and make sure the nozzle on top is on โsealingโ
- Set it to 7 minutes on high pressure- pressure cook.
- Quick release the steam right when itโs done.
- Open when the safety nozzle click down and indicates safe to open.
- Let cool and enjoy with your favorite spaghetti sauce!
Nutrition
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