I always get requests to make spaghetti squash recipes, but never get the chance because spaghetti squash is always so expensive around here. But the other day I happened upon a spaghetti squash sale for $0.99/lb. (organic, too!), so I jumped on it. Spaghetti squash can be quite large and awkward to cut and cook, and in such cases a slow cooker can be extremely helpful. So, for all of you who have struggled with spaghetti squash, let me introduce you to Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash. Set it and forget it!
What is a Spaghetti Squash??
Never heard of spaghetti squash? Well you’re in for a surprise. This amazing vegetable has flesh that separates into spaghetti-like strands once cooked. It looks like a yellow blimp, or a rounded football, and contains seeds in the center very much like a pumpkin. Word on the street is that you can clean and roast the seeds just like pumpkin seeds, but I didn’t get many out of mine so it didn’t see worth the effort.
Once cooked many people use the noodle-like strands just as you would regular spaghetti. It’s a great low-carb alternative, a good way to increase your vegetable intake, and will give you plenty of fiber. ;) Check out the full nutritional profile of Spaghetti Squash here.
Spaghetti squash come in all sizes, so each will take a different amount of time to cook and yield a different number of servings. I’ve seen them small and round, at about 2 lbs., all the way up to the monster I was working with today at over 5 lbs. This big squash took about 5 hours in my slow cooker and yielded about 6 cups of mock-spaghetti (about $0.89 per one cup serving).
Buying Spaghetti Squash on a Budget
The tricky thing about spaghetti squash is that even though the per-pound price is low, those suckers can be huge and the price adds up quickly, so watch out! Play close attention to whether they are priced per-pound or per-item. When priced per pound, always look for the smallest spaghetti squash possible, or when you’re lucky enough to find them priced per-item, look for the largest squash available.
Why Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash?
There are several ways to cook spaghetti squash and they all have their pros and cons. Since my squash was monster-sized and I didn’t want to even attempt cutting it open when raw, I opted for my slow cooker. Making slow cooker spaghetti squash is nice because
A) it doesn’t heat up your whole house.
B) you don’t have to cut it first. Cutting a large raw squash can be scary and dangerous because of their tough skin.
C) You don’t have to babysit it. Well, maybe a little, but the slow cooking process is a bit more forgiving than hotter methods, like the oven, so you can wander around and do other things as the spaghetti squash cooks.
What did I make with my giant spaghetti squash? Southwest Spaghetti Squash Bowls!
How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash – Step by Step Photos
The first step is to clean the outside of the spaghetti squash well. Next, use a paring knife to poke several holes in the skin of the squash so that steam can escape as it cooks. My poor squash must have gotten damaged in the ride home because when I took it out today I found a hairline crack all around the outside. But that’s okay, the crack just acted as another steam vent.
Next just place the squash in your slow cooker. My slow cooker is either a 5 or 6 quart (not sure, I’ve had it forever) and this 5 lb. squash barely fit end to end. It also came within millimeters of hitting the lid. Close call.
Place the lid on the cooker and turn it on to high. And then walk away. The total cooking time will depend on how large the squash is. I’d recommend a minimum 3 hours on high (5-6 hours on low), and then add an extra hour for every pound over 3 pounds. The thick ceramic walls of the slow cooker act as a mini-oven and slowly bake the squash.
Since the cook time is NOT an exact science, here is how you can tell it’s done. Press into the skin firmly with your finger (it will be hot, so do this quickly or cover your finger with a towel). If the skin dents in, it’s done. If the exterior is still hard and does not give at all to your pressure, it needs more time. It will not be “soft” per se, but it will dent like the bumper of a car.
You should also be able to smell that characteristic slightly sweet cooked squash smell. Of course if you’re not familiar with that smell that won’t help, but for those of you who are, that’s another clue. Once it’s done, carefully lift it from the slow cooker onto a cutting board to cool. It probably won’t cool if left in the slow cooker because the ceramic holds a lot of residual heat.
Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut it in half along the equator, not end to end. The reason you want to cut it along the midline is that the strands run around the squash horizontally. If you cut it end to end you’ll be cutting the strands in half and will have very short segments. Cutting around the equator keeps the long strands intact and gives you more of a spaghetti-like feel. Use a spoon to scrape the seeds out of the center. You may get a few of the strands with the seeds, but that’s okay.
Once the seeds are removed, use a fork to pull the strands away from the tough skin. This is the fun part.
And now the spaghetti squash is ready to eat! It doesn’t taste like much on its own, but you can do so much with it. Just like real pasta, I like it with a bit of butter, herbs, and Parmesan. Marinara is a classic choice as well.
Feel free to share your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash in the comments below to help newbies out. And what did I make with my spaghetti squash? Southwest Spaghetti Squash Bowls!
Does the squash come out watery at all? I usually poke a few holes in it, microwave for 5 minutes to soften, then split, clean, and bake cut side up for 45 minutes or so. With every other method I’ve tried, the squash seems to be so wet when cooked.
It will probably be more moist than a dry cooking method like the oven.
If you put the whole spaghetti squash in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, you can then cut through the skin and squash much easier.
Beth, I love spaghetti squash, in fact I have one sitting on the kitchen counter right now. But, since it makes so much, can the rest of the cooked squash be frozen? It’s just two of us eating it and I hate to waste the leftovers. If not, any suggestions for the day after leftovers?
I haven’t tried freezing cooked spaghetti squash, but my first guess is that it wouldn’t work so well (but you never know until you try it). You could always try freezing a small portion first to see how it thaws before risking freezing all of it. There are so many ways to eat spaghetti squash that I’m sure you could prepare the leftovers in a new way the next day. :)
I have frozen spaghetti squash (as well as other squash) before and it works well. When it comes to spaghetti squash do not separate the strands first though. Freeze it, peel and all, in one piece. Then, after it thaws out you can use the fork to pull the strands apart. If you pull the strands apart first they tend to get watery and mushier.
Thank you, I will try that.
This is how I first ate this squash:
http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/12/chicken-enchilada-stuffed-spaghetti.html
except I put in in a casserole dish and didn’t use the shell. Tastes great piled on chips too!
When on sale, stock up for the year! They are “winter squash” as they store thru the winter. When you find them on sale for $0.29/lb when the peak harvest happens (should be coming up in next few weeks), buy many and 6-8 months later (stored loosely in dark area of kitchen cabinet) they still look, cook and taste the same inside and out. Same storage for the other winter squash (butternut, etc).
WoW, Thank you for letting us know that!! I love to stock up on food, and never knew this about squash,. Thanks, Dave.
I’m lucky to get it reasonably cheap here too, more often than not. And I usually make it in my Instant Pot! It only takes about 10 minutes that way :) and I put taco meat and shredded cheese, but I love it with marinara too.
Do you need to put any water in the bottom of the crockpot?
Nope. :)
Hah! Living in rural PA, I get spaghetti squashes for .50 a piece. I just bought 4 of them. One of my favorite things is sweet or savoru spaghetti squash noodle kugel. Sweet gets ricotta, egg, and raisins with cinnamon sugar on top. Savory is ricotta, egg, gooey cheeses, onion and black pepper.
Lucky!! It is always SO expensive here in New Orleans. :(
Omg that sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that :D
I usually cook my spaghetti squash in the microwave. Make steam vent holes and cook in five minutes increments. As indicated above, check for doneness. My favorite way to eat it is with Smart Balance butter, low sodium seasoned salt and Mrs. Dash’s seasoning.
When I was a teenager in the ’70s, my grandparents grew spaghetti squash on their retirement farm. I recall not being overly impressed at the time, but what teenager would be with a veggie version of pasta? I bet spaghetti squash would be awesome in a casserole that would normally use pasta.
PSA that if you ever accidentally overcook your squash and it doesn’t really ‘spaghetti-fy’ any longer…add butter, salt, and pepper and mash it up. It’s a little sweet but use it as a side like mashed potatoes!
Also, we’re pretty lucky because around here Aldi sells all kinds of winter squash for $.99 each, not per lb. even giant spaghetti squashes and butternut!
Great tip!! :)
That looks really delicious, amazing!
http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/
I have been baking a spagetti squash once a week for about 6 weeks now. My daughter loves to reheat it and top it with marinara sauce. I found the recipe above and it is so delicious! I like to add bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms to the sausage when I saute. You could easily add greens as well. Spinach would be fantastic. I find that if I always keep some in the fridge, I can easily whip up an easy meal for me or the kids.
Thank you for this :) I have a spaghetti squash and I wasn’t sure how I wanted to cook it.
Just made spaghetti squash in the Crock-Pot last week. We ate half with marinara for one nights supper. The second half was put in a small baking dish, topped with marina and meatballs then covered in mozzarella and parmesan cheese and baked until GBD (golden brown and delicious for those who don’t watch Alton Brown 😀). Best use of leftovers in awhile!
Does your Trader Joe’s carry spaghetti squash? Mine always has them for $1.99 each, regardless of size – I’ve gotten some pretty big ones there!
That’s awesome!! I haven’t checked there yet. :)