Oh, the poor, often misunderstood spaghetti squash. Consider this an ode to an underrated, underappreciated vegetable found in nearly every produce section. We love spaghetti squash not only for its taste but it’s incredible versatility. On its own it’s a tasty, nutrition packed way to add some veg to your diet. But, it can also become the foundation for myriad of dishes. The spaghetti like strands that result after cooking – and whence it received its name – allow for unlimited creations. We have often found ourselves not even missing the pasta that we so often use it to replace. But, first we roast it. Once we have Roasted Spaghetti Squash the world is our oyster – or, maybe it’s our squash 😀
Preparation: Roasted Spaghetti Squash
All you’re going to need here is the squash, oil, salt, and pepper. If you decide to do further work with the squash to turn it into something like an Italian inspired dish then there will be more but we’ll share those with you in further posts. For now, we’ll focus on getting the squash cooked and ready for whatever your heart desires, and it is a tasty treat on its own.
We must provide a word of caution when working with spaghetti squash, particularly the larger ones. Since they are round, and we intend to halve them, they can be a hazard if not handled carefully. Take extra caution in holding the squash steady and make sure your chef knife is adequately sharpened. You’ll want to get the knife in at about a 45 degree angle before applying pressure downward (while still keeping the squash very securely gripped) to halve the squash.
Once halved, you’ll want to remove the pulp and seeds like in the picture below. If you really like to practice “zero or near zero” waste cooking you can clean up the seeds and roast them for a snack or salad topper at another time. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush the squash with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the squash face down and cook for 30 – 40 minutes. Flip the squash and let it rest for several minutes until it is able to be handled safely (will be hot!).
The cooking time will vary by size. The skin of the squash should easily pierce with a knife or fork. When flipped, the squash should be tender with some light caramelization as in the picture below. Shred with a fork and use in further dish preparation or serve as a side item.
As we mentioned, we will be sharing some recipes that use this roasted spaghetti squash as a foundation so stay tuned for those!
Equipment: Roasted Spaghetti Squash
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The two key components you need for this recipe are a quality chef knife (important for almost anything in the kitchen) and sheet pan lined with parchment paper. If you’re in the market here are some good options below (affiliate links):
If you liked that, try this…
- Simple Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower
- Oven Roasted Hatch Chiles
- Pan Roasted Mexican Street Corn
- Middle Eastern Lamb Stuffed Eggplant
- Roasted Winter Squash Soup
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Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1 – 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds with a spoon (see note 1).
- Brush the squash with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the squash face down and cook for 30 – 40 minutes (see note 2). Flip the squash and let it rest for several minutes until its able to be handled safely (will be hot!). Shred with a fork and use in further dish preparation or serve as a side item.
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