Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash: A quick tutorial on how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot in as little as 9 minutes!
Oh how my world has been rocked.
I don’t know if I’ve been this excited since I fell in love with the garlic roasted broccoli or the first time I made Instant Pot polenta or sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot!
I’m not going to lie… I always bypassed the spaghetti squash in the grocery store because I felt intimidated by it, and in no way did I think I’d actually like what was inside. (Kind of like the first time I hear of cauliflower soup… I didn’t know how amazing it actually was!)
But when I got the Instant Pot, it’s like I put my brave hat on and started experimenting to see what kinds of things I could cook and how they’d turn out.
Well I am BEYOND excited to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised when this spaghetti squash came out lookin’ fine as can be after only 9 minutes.
According to Healthline, spaghetti squash is low in calories but high in fiber, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6. So it’s a popular healthy side dish recipe in our house!
As you’ll see in my video and the photos, I cut the spaghetti squash vertically, from end to end.
However, I’ve since heard that you can cut horizontally for a longer “noodle”. But I liked the “noodles” the way they were and will continue to cut horizontally.
NOTE: Be VERY careful when cutting because the skin is so thick and you’ll need to use a sharp knife.
You can! Cook as directed, and then allow to cool. Once cooled, store in freezer container/bags and store up to 8 months.
You can! Like the recipe below, use one cup of water, place squash on trivet and turn the vent to the “sealing” position and pressure on high for 12 minutes. When timer ends, quick-release, remove squash, slice in half and remove seeds. Using a fork, pull the insides to create spaghetti-like strands.
I even went so far to add some parmesan, garlic, and butter to it, but that recipe will come later!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot
For now, we’re only going to go over how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot, because you may choose to use it differently after it’s finished cooking!
How to Cut Spaghetti Squash
As you’ll see in the video tutorial I’ve provided here or the image below, I just use a very sharp knife, and being VERY careful, I cut the end with the stem off and then cut the squash in half, vertically.
Scoop Out the Inside of Spaghetti Squash
Next, before placing in your Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) scoop out the inside of each half of the squash, removing all of the strands and seeds. Discard.
Add Water
Pour one cup of water in to your Instant Pot and place the trivet inside.
Next, place the two halves of the spaghetti squash inside of the pot, on top of the trivet.
Pressure Cook on High
Once the squash is inside the pot, place the lid on and turn the vent to the “sealing” position.
Turn the timer to 9 minutes and pressure on “high”.
NOTE: Finding the perfect cook time to recommend can be a struggle depending on the size of the spaghetti squash that you have. Also, be cautious of the size of squash you purchase, and the size of your Instant Pot, pot.
Quick-Release
When the timer runs out, quick-release by turning the vent from “sealed” to “venting” using a hand-towel, potholder, or my favorite heat-resistant gloves you see below.
These have changed my world in the kitchen! I’ll wear these for recipes that require quick-release but I’ll also wear them when I’m lifting the trivet out of the pot!
Creating the “Spaghetti” out of the Squash
Still wearing your heat resistant gloves (or dish towel/potholder) hold on to one end of the spaghetti squash.
Using a fork, turn the fork upside down and begin at the vertical end of the squash and begin to scrape the cooked pulp towards you. This will create a “spaghetti” and “noodle” like texture!
Watery Spaghetti Squash
TIP: If you find that your spaghetti squash is watery (this squash can be watery at times) it may not hurt to place it in a colander to let it drain before serving/mixing with the sauce.
If spaghetti squash cools while draining, briefly toss over heat while mixing with the other ingredients if desired.
How to Serve Spaghetti Squash
Our favorite way to serve spaghetti squash is simple. Butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, and a dash of red pepper flakes!
However, you can use spaghetti squash:
- with bolognese sauce (here is an Instant Pot tomato sauce recipe that you may love too!)
- warm with oil, lemon, salt, fresh herbs (along with other favorite seasonings)
- bake with cheeses to mimic a pasta bake
- cold pasta salad
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Wash outside of spaghetti squash
- Place trivet inside of Instant Pot, pot and pour 1 cup of water in to pot
- Slice the stem-end of the spaghetti squash off and then slice the squash in half, vertically. You'll need a sharp knife and bee VERY careful as this can be dangerous since the outside is so thick and difficult to cut.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the inside strands and seeds. Discard.
- Place the two halves inside of the pot, facing one another.
- Place the lid on, and turn the vent to the "sealing" position.
- Pressure cook on "high" and set the timer for 9 minutes.
- When the timer ends, quick-release the vent (I use my favorite heat-resistant gloves for this) until the valve lowers.
- Once valve has went down, remove the lid and squash and transfer them to a plate or cutting board.
- Using a fork, turn the fork upside down and begin scraping the insides of the squash by starting at the vertical-top part of the squash and pulling the fork towards you. This will create a "spaghetti-like" texture.
- Serve warm with desired seasonings, sauces, spices.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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