The Best Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash
on Aug 13, 2019, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Learn how to make the best oven roasted spaghetti squash — it’s low maintenance and turns out tasty every single time!
Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite over looked veggies! I love that you can do so many things with it. Spaghetti squash is one of those veggies that had a hot and trendy take-off a few years ago, and it’s maintained its amazing status as a low-calorie pasta alternative ever since. In my house, we LOVE us some spaghetti squash.
But there’s something about the “normal” way people cut and roast these vegetables that I wasn’t a huge fan of…so I found a new way! Enter: the best oven roast spaghetti squash…ever. Rather than making one long cut, you remove both ends and then cut it down into rings, which is MUCH more doable and easier than the other way, in my opinion. Serve it with your favorite pasta toppings — we like red sauce, meatballs, and fresh herbs — and voila! You’re enjoying a healthy, filling, and yummy pasta hack in no time.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple and Easy: The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, and takes just a few ingredients and very little prep time. It’s perfect for busy weeknights.
- Versatile: Roasted spaghetti squash can be used as a base for all kinds of dishes. You can top it with marinara sauce, pesto, alfredo, or even use it in casseroles and stir-fries.
- Gluten Free: It’s a great, natural gluten-free substitute for pasta that will work for everyone.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash: you need one that is about 2 pounds
- Salt
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make The Best Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Step #1. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse the squash off with water.
Step #3. Let the rings rest if you have time, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20-30 minutes.
Step #2. Cut both end of the squash off, then slice it into 2 inch rings. Scrape any seeds out and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
Step #4. Remove from the oven. Shred the rings with a fork, then serve as you like.
Recipe FAQs
Roasted and shredded spaghetti squash looks like thin pasta noodles and even has a similar texture to pasta, but the taste is milder than real pasta. It’s not as sweet or earthy as other squash varietals, and in fact tastes almost bland — but not in a bad way! A little salt and some pasta toppings do it wonders, and it’s filling and healthy.
A good spaghetti squash will be a bright color with a firm exterior. If it has brown spots, is discolored, or is very dull in color, it has probably gone bad or is well on its way. Luckily, spaghetti squash have a long shelf life in comparison to other produce, so pick one or two good ones in the store, and they should last for at least a couple weeks before you cook them.
After roasting your spaghetti squash, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and last for up to 3 to 5 days.
Yes! It’s a veggie that is packed with nutrients and minerals, including fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 — plus, it’s low in calories and fat, making it a light alternative to regular pasta meals.
Expert Tips
- When picking one to buy, choose a spaghetti squash that is firm, heavy for its size, and has a uniform color. Be sure to check for soft spots and cracks.
- Hard shell squash like these can be a little tricky to cut. Make sure that you have a big, sturdy, very sharp knife so you can get through it more easily.
- Even if you’re not a grapefruit eater, a grapefruit spoon is great to have on hand for clearing the seeds out of squashes and melons. It’s serrated edges just give a little of extra scooping power versus a regular spoon.
Spaghetti Squash Goes Great with These Main Dishes
- Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- The Best Baked Chicken Legs
- Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken Legs
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- Bop’s Favorite Meatloaf Recipe
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- The BEST Baked Chicken Breast
The Best Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash, about 2 pounds
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Give the squash a quick rinse.
- Cut the blossom end and stem end off of the squash.
- Cut the squash into rings that are 2 inches wide.
- Use a spoon to scrape out any seeds from the middle of the rings.
- Place the rings on the baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- If you have time, let the rings rest for 15 minutes (so that the salt will bring some of the water out of the squash — this helps but isn’t crucial.)
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes (the foil helps to steam the squash).
- Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the squash is very tender and pulls apart with a fork.
- Remove from the oven, shred, and serve as you like.
Notes
- You get beautiful rings from cutting the squash like this!
- You can find my pretty enamelware dishes from Rove and Swig. I’m OBSESSED.
- I learned this cooking method from my friend Beth at Pass the Plants. She’s amazing, you should check out her site!
- This recipe is a great base for so many pasta sauces.
