Baking this squash takes about 40 minutes. But if you use the microwave, it’s ready in less than 20! 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 in the microwave. This method is so easy and the results are comparable to baking. So, more often than not, I choose the microwave.
Instructions
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Once it’s cooked, you can toss the strands with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and butter. But those are optional ingredients. A tasty variation is to sprinkle the cooked strands with ¼ cup of dry-grated parmesan cheese. Sometimes, I add ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme or oregano. Your first step is to pierce the squash with a knife or a fork. You can leave it whole - there’s no need to cut it first. As long as you pierce it all over before cooking, it shouldn’t explode in the microwave. Once the squash is cooked, let it cool so it’s not too hot to handle. Then, cut it open with a sharp knife and remove the seeds and pulp. Remove the strands to a bowl. As shown in the photo below, I use a paper towel to protect my hands, since the squash tends to still be quite hot at this point.
Undercooked Squash
Microwave cooking is a bit of a gamble because microwave ovens vary. If you decide that your squash is ready, but upon slicing it, you realize it’s still too hard, don’t despair! This happened to me a few times. Here’s what to do: Scoop out the pulp and seeds. Place each squash half in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add two tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave until fork-tender. This should take about two more minutes for each half. If this happens to you, place the squash halves, cut side down, on a clean towel for a few minutes. This will help absorb some of the excess liquid. The strands will still be a bit mushy. However, take comfort in the fact that they will still taste great! In the photos below, you can see the spaghetti squash strands in a bowl before I added anything, and after I added olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can also use microwave spaghetti squash as the basis for many recipes, including spaghetti squash casserole, spaghetti squash boats, and spaghetti squash fritters. In the photo below, I made a quick meal of reheated spaghetti squash strands topped with sauteed shrimp:
