Microwave Spaghetti Squash So Easy

While baking it takes about 40 minutes, if you use the microwave, it’s ready in less than 20 minutes! I rarely bother with baking it anymore. I love spaghetti squash! The magic of raking a fork back and forth and turning its tasty flesh into strands always amazes me. It’s easy enough to bake spaghetti squash in the oven. It’s ridiculously easy to cook it whole in the microwave. This method is so easy, and the results are quite comparable to baking. So more often than not, when cooking this wonderful vegetable, I choose the microwave. And I cook it often, mostly to replace pasta and other starchy foods.

Ingredients

You’ll only need one ingredient to make this recipe! A 2-lb. spaghetti squash. Once it’s cooked, you can toss the strands with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and butter. But those are all optional ingredients.

Instructions

Cooking spaghetti squash in the microwave is so easy! Here are the basic steps. The detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below. Your first step is to pierce the squash with a fork. You can leave it whole - there’s no need to cut it first. As long as you pierce it with a fork before cooking, it shouldn’t explode in the microwave. Then, place the squash on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it for 5-6 minutes on each side. Once the squash is cooked, let it cool so that it’s not too hot to handle. Then cut it open with a sharp knife, remove the seeds snd pulp, and rake a fork back and forth across its flesh to create strands.

Expert tip

The cooking time of 5-6 minutes per side is ideal for a small, 2 lb. squash. If yours is larger, you’ll probably need to microwave it a bit longer. Your goal is a soft squash that can be easily pierced with a fork. Try 6 minutes per side for larger squashes.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Using microwaved spaghetti squash can be as simple as adding some melted butter (or good olive oil), salt, and garlic powder to the strands. Then you have a truly delicious and easy-to-make side dish. Parmesan is another tasty addition. Or you can use it as the basis for many tasty recipes, including this wonderful spaghetti squash casserole and these crispy spaghetti squash fritters.

Storing leftovers

Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. In fact, the leftovers taste great even on the fourth day - almost as good as when freshly prepared. Reheat them gently, in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.

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