How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot
on Aug 17, 2019, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Think it takes upwards of an hour (or more) to get your spaghetti squash perfectly prepped and cooked for serving? Think again! You will love this trick for how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot for the fastest (and easiest) spaghetti squash recipe ever.
No time to roast a spaghetti squash? No worries if you got a late start to dinner, your Instant Pot can come to the rescue! This is super fast too because you don’t even have to cut the squash or remove the seeds before cooking, just cook it whole! And with a 15 minute cook time, you’ll have squash ready in no time.
Whether you love using the Instant Pot or are more of an oven or Crock-Pot fan, I’ve got you covered for preparing your spaghetti squash the easiest ways possible! Get it ready to go with your method of choice, and then top the healthy and adaptable “noodles” with your favorite pasta toppings!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy and Convenient: If you’re new to using an Instant Pot, this is a great introduction! It couldn’t be more simple and you’ll get to see just how amazing the results are.
- Minimal Cleanup: Cleaning up afterward is a dream since it’s just the liner pot after the water and whole squash.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Just like the slow cooker method, this way of cooking spaghetti squash is fantastic for meal prep days because you can set and forget it while you work on other things.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash: medium size (2 to 2.5 pounds) so it will fit in your pot
- Water
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot
Step #1. Wash the outside of your squash off. Prick the skin a few times with a fork or sharp knife. Place the squash in a steamer basket that fits on top of a trivet in your instant pot. Add one cup of water to the pot.
Step #3. Once the time is up, do a manual pressure release. When the pressure is release, open the lid and carefully remove the squash.
Step #2. Close the Instant Pot lid, then turn the gasket to “sealing” and set it to cook for 15 minutes on high pressure.
Step #4. Cut the squash open, remove the seeds, and shred the flesh into strands. Serve as desired.
Recipe FAQs
You can put so many delicious things in and on and beside spaghetti squash that you really can’t go wrong. We love eating it with marinara sauce and meatballs, or with butter, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper! Any favorite pasta toppings will taste amazing with spaghetti squash.
Ripe spaghetti squash are a golden or dark yellow color with a very thick and firm exterior. Your fingernail should not be able to penetrate the surface of an uncooked spaghetti squash, and it shouldn’t have any spots, brown marks, or bruises.
Uncooked spaghetti squash can keep for up to 1 to 2 months if stored in a cool, dry pantry. Cooked spaghetti squash should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed within 3 to 4 days.
Expert Tips
- Be especially careful when removing the squash from the pot – it will be very hot. Use tongs, hot pads, or a combination of the two to take it out.
- Pick a good squash by choosing one that is heavy for it’s size, has no soft spots, and has an undamaged shell.
- A grapefruit spoon is a great tool for getting seeds out of squash and melons.
- Reheat leftover spaghetti squash in a low skillet with a little butter or oil or in a microwave for the best texture.
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How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash, (2 to 2.5 pounds)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash off the outside of your spaghetti squash, and prick it a few times with a fork so that the steam can penetrate the skin.
- Place the squash in a steamer basket that fits your pressure cooker or on the trivet, and then add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pot.
- Close the lid, move the gasket to “sealing” and press “pressure cook.” Set the cook time to 15 minutes (high pressure), and let the machine do its thing.
- When the 15 minutes has passed, do a manual pressure release.
- When the pressure comes down and you can remove the lid, do so carefully.
- Carefully remove the squash from the Instant Pot, and cut it from top to bottom (stem to blossom end). Use a spoon to scrape the seeds from the squash.
- Use a fork to scrape the flesh to shred it into spaghetti. Use as you like.
Notes
- To decrease the cook time – cut the squash in half (through the middle, not top to bottom, so that you have two “bowls”). Scrape out the seeds and discard. Place the two halves in the Instant Pot with the water on a trivet, and cook for 7 minutes, quick pressure release. Use as you like.
- If your Instant Pot is larger than 6 qt, you may need more than 1 cup of water. You need just enough to cover the bottom of the liner pot.
- Remember to be careful when removing the hot squash from the Instant Pot – tongs and hot pads will be your best friends!
- If, for some reason, your squash isn’t done enough once you cut into it, you can put it back in the Instant Pot for a couple minutes. Just check the water in the bottom – you might need to add a little more hot water.
