Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot cooks quickly and tastes great with butter or spaghetti sauce served over top! Enjoy the fast cook time in your pressure cooker.
Why This Recipe Works
I had such an unusual food situation as a kid. My mom introduced me to a lot of different types of food that most people don’t try until they’re adults. My love for food was evident early and I think she saw that and ran with it!
Seafood, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, oysters and spaghetti squash were all common fare in our house.
I loved the way my mom prepared spaghetti squash. She’d let butter melt into it just out of the oven and I’d devour every stringy bite! I’ve recreated her baked version over the years, but my hangup is that it takes so long to cook!
Enter the magical Instant Pot! One spaghetti squash cooks in a fraction of the time it takes to prepare it in an oven.
Recipe Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash – To pick a good squash for this recipe, look and feel for a firm vegetable that is golden or darker yellow. Also check for a firm stem.
Watch This Web Story On Squash
Enjoy a healthy side dish of spaghetti squash prepared quicker in the Instant Pot than your oven.
How To Make Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot
Step 1
Cut the squash in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Use a paring knife or spoon to scoop out the seeds from the centers of the halves.
Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot and place trivet in pot and add the squash to the pot, cut sides up.
Step 2
Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 8 minutes and cook on high pressure (use the pressure cook setting). It will take the pressure cooker around 15 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
When cooking time is done, do a quick release and set valve to venting. When the float valve drops, remove the lid and carefully remove the squash halves.
Step 3
Use a fork to “shred” the flesh of the squash into spaghetti-like strands. Mix in a few pats of butter and serve!
Recipe Notes
- Serving spaghetti squash can be really simple! A pat of butter is all you need to dress this side dish up. Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top tastes great, too.
- Take advantage of the thick skin and use it as a built-in bowl!
- It is called spaghetti squash for a reason! The flesh resembles thin spaghetti noodles, so see this as an opportunity to make pasta night healthier by using spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles. Top with homemade pasta sauce!
- It can be TOUGH to cut one of these beauties, so be careful! Use a sharp chef knife, if possible. Cut 1-inch “markers” down the length of one side as a template for where you plan to cut, one side at a time.
- I cook with a 6 quart Instant Pot, but an 8 quart pot will work fine, too!
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
- Substitute it for traditional spaghetti noodles!
- Make these delicious Beef and Cheese Boats! Create an easy sauce for this recipe by using tomato sauce to create spaghetti sauce. If you don’t have sauce on hand, tomato paste will create an easy spaghetti sauce, too!
- If using sauce to spruce up this squash, learn how to thicken it if needed, as well as what to do with leftover pasta sauce!
- Add it to your next batch of scrambled eggs or even an omelet.
- Use it in place of rice noodles in Pad Thai!
Healthy Side Dish Recipes
Don’t stop with squash! Check out a few of my other favorite easy, healthy sides!
- Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
- Vegetable Rice Summer Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples
- Cauliflower Mushroom Rice
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Why Does It Take My Instant Pot So Long To Pressurize
The time leading up to actual cook time may seem long and even confusing (“What is going ON in there?!”), but it’s an important part of the process! The Instant Pot is working on building up the appropriate amount of pressure that it will be cooking the food at.
It handles liquids and solids differently and also fresh and frozen differently, so the time can vary. Most recipes take between 10 and 25 minutes to build up pressure.
FAQ About Spaghetti Squash
It is called spaghetti squash for a reason! The flesh resembles thin spaghetti noodles, so see this as an opportunity to make pasta night healthier by using spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles.
To pick a good squash for this recipe, look and feel for a firm golden or darker yellow vegetable with a firm stem.
There are approximately 10 grams of carbohydrates and approximately 40 calories in 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash, which is about the amount you will get from one of its halves.
Spaghetti squash is very low in carbs, making it acceptable to eat when on the keto diet.
Since the delicious yellow squash is seasonal, it is a great food to freeze and enjoy in an off-season month! Allow the squash to cool completely after cooking. Remove the flesh from the skin using a spoon and transfer to a resealable freezer bag. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 6 months.
Instant Pot Recipes
The list of recipes you can make in an Instant Pot is endless! It can act as a slow cooker, saute pan, steamer, rice maker, yogurt maker and pressure cooker. It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:
Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!
Spaghetti Squash in Instant Pot Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash cut in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the centers of the spaghetti squash halves.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot and place trivet in pot.
- Add the squash to the pot, cut sides up.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 8 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 13 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking time is done, do a quick release. When the float valve drops, remove the cover and carefully remove the squash halves.
- Use a fork to “shred” the flesh of the squash into spaghetti-like strands. Mix in a few pats of butter and serve!
Notes
- Serving spaghetti squash can be really simple! A pat of butter is all you need to dress this side dish up. Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top tastes great, too.
- Take advantage of the thick skin and use it as a built-in bowl!
- It is called spaghetti squash for a reason! The flesh resembles thin spaghetti noodles, so see this as an opportunity to make pasta night healthier by using spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles.
- It can be TOUGH to cut one of these beauties, so be careful! Use a sharp chef knife, if possible. Cut 1-inch “markers” down the length of one side as a template for where you plan to cut, one side at a time.
Leave a Reply