Instant Pot spaghetti squash comes out perfectly tender with fluffy strands every time – and only takes 15 minutes at pressure! This makes a great low-carb side dish or base for a complete meal.
Well, it's Thursday. And to be honest, the fact that a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building and prevented democracy from being carried out yesterday has sort-of taken the wind out of my sails for a fresh start in 2021. I mean, this is the United States, right? Washington, D.C., was my home for 5 years. These videos and images are so shocking and hurtful.
I'm really looking forward to inauguration day in just under two weeks so we can really start a new chapter. I'm at a loss for the moment, so I'm moving right along to the food.
Cue awkward transition.
Previously I’ve shared microwave spaghetti squash, which is super quick and easy. And baked spaghetti squash is a go-to.
It’s also a savior on nights where I’ve forgotten to get the spaghetti squash for me going before I start the regular pasta for my family. (I don’t follow a low-carb eating plan and I for sure eat pasta, but I love getting in some extra veggies from time to time.)
Today’s recipe for this Instant Pot spaghetti squash is another great way I fix this that’s easy, hands-off and faster than roasting in an oven.
(Plus, I was without an oven for 5 months last year, so I had to find some work arounds. )
This Instant Pot spaghetti squash is super easy to prep and best of all?
You don’t have to cut the squash before you cook it!
Nope, no struggling with your knife to try and saw your way through that hard squash. You just pierce it a couple of times with a knife and put the whole thing in the Instant Pot.
SO much easier - and safer!
And the squash comes out so tender and fluffy with delicious, beautiful long strands every time. Yum!
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making Instant Pot spaghetti squash:
- You’ll want to choose a small or medium size spaghetti squash that will be able to fit sideways in your Instant Pot. (Though if you get a huge one by accident, I’ve got notes in the recipe card about adding a few extra minutes to the cook time.)
- No, you don’t need to cut the spaghetti squash in half. It will cook through evenly in the Instant Pot and then be infinitely easier to cut open. And removing the seeds and pulp after it’s cooked really isn’t difficult.
- Be sure to pierce the spaghetti squash a few times, all around the sides, so that it vents while it’s cooking under pressure.
- And be sure to handle it carefully when it’s finished - it will be hot!
Since it’s the most common question, let’s just call it out right now.
How long do you cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot?
- A small to medium spaghetti squash will take 15 minutes at high pressure in the Instant Pot. A large spaghetti squash will take about 18 minutes.
- Place a trivet in the insert of the Instant Pot, add water, then place the (whole, not halved) spaghetti squash on the trivet. Seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Remove the squash, and once cool enough to handle, cut it in half, remove the seeds and pulp, and it’s ready to use.
Ta-da, tender, cooked spaghetti squash that is totally hands off and easy to make!
Oh, a disclaimer though: Instant Pot recipes often fail to mention the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure or to release it.
I have found it misleading when trying to plan, so I wanted to be sure to include it here.
I’ve listed “additional time” as 15 minutes to account for the amount of time it will take for the pot to come to pressure and then the time for the quick release. The exact amount of time can vary, but that’s at least a rough estimate.
In case you’re in the market for one, I have and love this 6-quart Instant Pot.
OK, let’s get ready to eat!
I’ve got some ideas coming up on toppings for spaghetti squash as well as ways to incorporate it into your main dish.
Easy seasoning ideas for spaghetti squash:
- Season simply with some olive oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. Add some fresh chopped parsley if you’ve got it.
- Make a quick sauce on the stove with some olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, pepper and white wine. Add toasted pine nuts for some crunch.
- Mix in some pesto with the warmed spaghetti squash strands for a quick flavor boost.
- Top with chopped olives, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Or use this squash as a base for a lemony garlic sauce, a creamy white sauce or a chunky tomato sauce (or just some warmed up marinara sauce).
So many options! Use your favorites.
If you want it to be the base of a main dish, here’s a few ideas.
Ways to use cooked spaghetti squash:
- Use in place of spaghetti noodles for a spaghetti dinner night or spaghetti and meatballs.
- Make a low-carb substitute for linguine in dishes like chicken Alfredo or with a vodka sauce.
- Use as the base with a creamy chicken recipe to help soak up some of the sauce.
- Build spaghetti squash boats for dishes like lasagna or Italian chicken or even tacos or a saucy Indian butter chicken.
Or use with one of these spaghetti squash recipes:
- Turkey taco spaghetti squash boats
- Sausage and kale stuffed spaghetti squash
- Spaghetti squash with chicken and broccoli
- Southwest vegetarian stuffed spaghetti squash
- Spaghetti squash with pesto chicken
- Summer spaghetti
So much deliciousness. You’ll be buying a spaghetti squash every week now that it’s this easy to prepare!
Oh, but in case you have extra, here’s how to keep it.
How to store leftover spaghetti squash:
- If you make this for one person and have an extra squash half, it’s easy to store it.
- Scrape the noodles from the squash and place in a bowl or container with a lid and keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can also go ahead and stuff the squash or make your squash boat and then keep the whole thing, covered with aluminum foil, in the fridge for 3-4 days. Place it on baking sheet in the oven at 350, still wrapped in foil, for 20 minutes to start to warm through. Unwrap from the foil and bake until it’s completely warmed through, another 5-15 minutes depending on the size.
I hope you give spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot a try soon. I think you’ll love how very easy it is to fix this way.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Stay tuned because I have some more spaghetti squash recipes coming up soon.
You can sign up for free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
Instant Pot spaghetti squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Pierce the spaghetti squash several times with a sharp knife to allow it too vent while cooking.
- Place your trivet in the Instant Pot insert. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the spaghetti squash on top of the trivet.
- Seal the pot and set to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. (If you have a large squash, increase the cook time to 18 minutes.) When the cook time is up, do a quick release for the pressure.
- Once the pressure has dropped and the pot is safe to open, carefully remove the spaghetti squash (it will be hot).
- Once cool enough to handle, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp from the middle of each squash half and discard. Use a fork to pull the strands from the squash. Serve hot.
Notes
- Season simply with some olive oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. Add some fresh chopped parsley if you’ve got it.
- Make a quick sauce on the stove with some olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, pepper and white wine. Add toasted pine nuts for some crunch.
- Mix in some pesto with the warmed spaghetti squash strands for a quick flavor boost.
- Top with chopped olives, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Or use this squash as a base for a lemony garlic sauce, a creamy white sauce or a chunky tomato sauce (or just some warmed up marinara sauce).
- Use in place of spaghetti noodles for a spaghetti dinner night or spaghetti and meatballs.
- Make a low-carb substitute for linguine in dishes like chicken Alfredo or with a vodka sauce.
- Use as the base with a creamy chicken recipe to help soak up some of the sauce.
- Build spaghetti squash boats for dishes like lasagna or Italian chicken or even tacos or a saucy Indian butter chicken.
- Scrape the noodles from the squash and place in a bowl or container with a lid and keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can also go ahead and stuff the squash or make your squash boat and then keep the whole thing, covered with aluminum foil, in the fridge for 3-4 days. Place it on baking sheet in the oven at 350, still wrapped in foil, for 20 minutes to start to warm through. Unwrap from the foil and bake until it’s completely warmed through, another 5-15 minutes depending on the size.
Nutrition
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