Learn how easy it is to cook Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot. You will love this effortless and quick 30 minutes method to cook this hardy vegetable without even cutting it. Once you make Spaghetti squash in the Instant pot, you will never make it another way.
Spaghetti Squash looks hard to cook and even harder to cut. But simply putting it in pressure cooker and letting it cook under pressure yields fork tender and soft squash. You can make spaghetti like long strands that you can be used in multiple dishes replacing regular pasta.
The delicate noodle like stands from cooked spaghetti squash are comparable to angel hair pasta. It has very subtle flavor. I like to pair the spaghetti squash noodles with a variety of different savory sauces – including marinara, Bolognese, pesto, Makhani, chimichurri, curry and more.
Spaghetti squash noodles are nutrient full of vegetable. They also are vegan, gluten free and keto friendly low carb option for your dietary needs.
Even though, it is considered a winter vegetable, spaghetti squash is available throughout the year in most grocery stores. I like to use it throughout the year since you can serve the noodles hot, cold or warm depending upon the mood of the season.
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 (1 cup) 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.
WHY PRESSURE COOK SPAGHETTI SQUASH ?
- It is faster than baking in the oven.
- You don’t need to cut the hard squash before cooking.
- It is super easy to cook Spaghetti Squash under pressure. Once you get hang of cooking it, you will keep using it often and again.
Before Instapotting, cutting through the hard shell and then cleaning it felt like a herculean task. Plus, I am afraid of cutting or scraping the fingers when I cut big hard vegetables like any winter squash. They have really tough skin and to cook them efficiently, you need cut and slice them though.
The advantage of cooking spaghetti squash, or any hard-shell winter squash in an electric pressure cooker like Instantpot, is that you do not need to slice it before cooking. Put the whole squash in there, close the lid and pressure cook it. Yes it’s a Eureka like discovery my friends !
STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS:
Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a slit in the middle of the squash.
Put 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place a steamer rack into the pot. Place the spaghetti squash on the rack cut side up.
Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL or PRESSURE on HIGH PRESSURE for 8 minutes. Keep the valve at SEALED. After Instantpot does cooking and goes to keep warm timer, let it sit for 10 minutes. Then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING.
After the silver pin drops, open the lid.
Remove the squash and rest it on the solid surface. Once it cools down, using a knife, cut it open.
Using a spoon, remove the seeds and surrounding membrane in the middle.
Drag a fork along the squash to get noodle like strands of spaghetti squash. Save the squash shells for serving, if you wish
Season with oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and red chili flakes (optional)
The noodles are subtle in flavor so season it well according to your liking. I like it savory, but a drizzle of cinnamon, butter and maple syrup also tastes amazing.
If the strands are too chewy or crunchy for you, put them in microwave dish, cover and cook for a minute. They will soften and become tender.
Cooked Spaghetti Squash can be frozen. Put the strands into a zip-lock bag and squash the bag flat while taking the air out as much as possible. This makes it easier stacking in the refrigerator as well as evenly defrosting the noodles.
SHOULD YOU CUT THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH LENGHTWISE OR CROSSWISE:
- If you cut it lengthwise, you get shorter and more manageable strands. For gourmet presentation, save the shells and serve the prepared noodles in them.
- If you cut it in the middle cross wise, you get longer strands (almost of the size of the circumference of the squash). You also get two bowl like shells to serve the prepared noodles.
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.
HOW MANY NET CARBS ARE IN SPAGHETTI SQUASH?
One cup of cooked spaghetti squash has 7 gm net carbs. Since it’s full of fiber, the net carbs come down to acceptable Keto / low carb level.
Here’s the breakdown per 1 cup of serving: 10 G of Net Carbs -3 G fiber = 7 G Net Carbs. Thus, spaghetti squash can help you cut down on carbs compare to traditional pasta dishes.
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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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium size Spaghetti Squash
- 1 cup water
Optional garnishes :
- Olive Oil , Salt, Pepper, Red Chili Flakes, Fresh herbs like parsley or mint
Useful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a small line / slit the middle of the squash.
Put 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place a steamer rack into the
pot. Place the spaghetti squash on the rack cut side up.
Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on HIGH PRESSURE for 8 minutes. Keep the valve at SEALED. - After Instantpot does cooking and goes to keep warm timer, let it sit for 10 minutes. Then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. After the silver pin drops, open the lid.
- Remove the squash and rest it on the solid surface. Once it
cools down, using a knife, cut it open. - Using a spoon, remove the seeds and surrounding membrane in
the middle. Drag a fork along the squash to get noodle like strands of
spaghetti squash. - Save the squash shells for serving, if you wish. Season with oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and red chili flakes (optional)
Notes
microwave dish, cover and cook for a minute. They will soften and become tender. Cooked Spaghetti Squash can be frozen. Put the strands into a zip-lock freezer bag and squash the bag flat while taking as much air out as possible. This makes it easier stacking in the fridge as well as evenly defrosting the noodles.
Colleen
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I originally didn't like the flavor of spaghetti squash but learned that any just about any curry main dish sauce was excellent served on top of spaghetti squash. I have been roasting my spaghetti squash and using the skin as a bowl for topping and serving the pulled squash. I roast a whole squash and then save the "other half" for a different meal several days into the future. I will try your Instant Pot next time!