Cooking Squash In The Oven

Scoop the seeds from the center of each half. (Discard the seeds or find another use for them.) Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt across the cut surface of each half (if you have a very large squash, you might want a little more; for a small squash, a little less).

Place each half cut side down on the parchment and slide into an oven set to 375°F. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes until the interior is fork-tender. Again, size will affect how long it takes to cook spaghetti squash to the point of tenderness. (A note on doneness: Anna prefers spaghetti squash with "a slight al dente bite, which makes substituting it in place of pasta so much more believable." If you'd like your squash to be a little more tender, roast spaghetti squash in the oven a bit longer.)

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Faster

In her tests, Anna found that using the microwave was by far the fastest way to cook spaghetti squash. After pre-microwaving the squash whole, then cutting it in half, she found that microwaving each half, cut side down, for about 10 minutes produced good results. Unless you're working with a small squash or have a large microwave, though, you'll need to cook each half separately, she says, which means you're looking at a total of 20 minutes. Note that we much preferred the texture and more concentrated flavor of the roasted version, but if you're pressed for time, this is a worthwhile option to consider.

Bake chicken legs alongside spaghetti squash and then toss the strands with pomegranate and dill.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

How Not to Bake Spaghetti Squash

In her experiments, Anna found that roasting a whole squash to the point it had an al dente texture took far too long. Roasting with the cut sides facing up resulted in squash she found too dry, and roasting it in a shallow bed of water produced strands that were too wet. If you're wondering how to bake spaghetti squash, refer to the methods above.

How to Turn Spaghetti Squash Into "Noodles"

Once your spaghetti squash is cooked and cool enough to handle, turn one half so that a long side is facing you. Use a fork to gently pull the strands away from the peel. Keep scraping, turning as needed and fluffing the "noodles" until all the strands are free.

Spaghetti squash with turkey chili on a plate with a fork.