Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is the magical squash that separates into spaghetti-like strands when you scrape the cooked insides with a fork. There are several different ways to cook it:

• For the fastest method, you can make this Instant Pot spaghetti squash.
• Slow cooker spaghetti squash is a hands-off cooking method that can be started in the morning and ready when you get home from work.
• Finally, there’s baked spaghetti squash, which can be cut into rings, halves, or roasted whole.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash: Fast & Easy

The quickest way to cook spaghetti squash. It’s done in about half the time of baked spaghetti squash, and a fraction of the time of making it in a crockpot.

Easy hands-off method. The Instant Pot requires very little monitoring and you don’t have to slice the squash until the end of the cooking time when it’s soft and easy to cut. It’s much easier than cutting into the hard shell of an uncooked spaghetti squash. Sometimes I feel like I need a chainsaw or machete to cut that hard squash!

A low-carb alternative. Spaghetti squash isn’t just a stand-in for pasta. You can serve it as a tasty alternative to rice and other grains. We love to stuff spaghetti squash, too (try chicken fajita stuffed spaghetti squash or pizza stuffed spaghetti squash). It can be used to make vegetable fritters, and more.

Ingredient Notes

• Spaghetti squash: I have a 6 quart pressure cooker and when we tested this recipe, my squash was 3.75 pounds. The squash pretty much filled my Instant Pot to capacity, so if you have a 6 quart Instant Pot, be sure to keep this in mind when selecting a squash. I wouldn’t go any larger than 3.75 pounds for this cooking method. If you choose a smaller squash, you can decrease cooking time slightly.

How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash

Prep the squash. Scrub the outside of the squash well. Use a small sharp knife to pierce the skin in several spots. You don’t need to go deeply, just through the outer peeling, about a half inch or so. (Similar to how you prick a potato before baking it—you need to let the steam escape so it doesn’t explode!)

Set up the Instant Pot. Place the wire rack (preferred) or steamer basket (pictured) into your pressure cooker and pour in a cup of water. Set the squash on the wire rack or in the steamer basket.

Cook. Secure the lid, turn the valve to seal if necessary, and set to Pressure Cook (or Manual, high pressure, depending on your model) for 20 minutes. How long it takes to come to pressure depends on the size of the squash. When the timer goes off, do a quick release by turning the valve to “vent.” This will release the pressure safely before you take off the lid.

Make the “spaghetti.” Remove the squash and let cool until you can handle it comfortably. Slice it in half, either stem to end or crosswise. Crosswise gives you longer strands. Scoop out the seeds, then use a fork to separate the flesh into strands. You can either leave it in the shell or take it out. Serve it as desired. Take a look at the suggestions below.

Serve Spaghetti Squash With a sauce

Serve Spaghetti Squash As a side

Refrigerate: Instant Pot spaghetti squash will keep for about a week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freeze: You can freeze Instant Pot spaghetti squash for up to six months. After you’ve separated it into strands, set the strands in a colander over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, then transfer the drained squash to freezer bags. Press out the air and freeze; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: You can eat spaghetti squash cold or at room temperature, or heat it up in the microwave or a skillet set over medium heat.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Scrub squash clean and carefully pierce all over with a small sharp knife (10 to 15 cuts, about a half inch deep).

  1 spaghetti squash, scrubbed clean

• Place metal wire rack or steamer basket in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Pour in 1 cup water. Place squash on the rack or in the steamer basket.

  1 cup water

• Secure lid, turn valve to seal if necessary, and set for Pressure cook, 20 minutes (or Manual, High Pressure, depending on your model). It will take approximately 10 minutes to pressurize, depending on the size of the squash.

• When the timer goes off, quick release the pressure by turning the valve to vent. Once the pressure has completely released, carefully remove the lid.

• Remove the squash from the Instant Pot, and put it on a cutting board or platter. Allow the squash to cool long enough to handle.

• Cut the squash half. If you cut it lengthwise from stem to end, you’ll have shorter “spaghetti” strands. If you cut it crosswise, you’ll have longer strands. Remove seeds. Use a fork to separate the squash into strands. You can either remove the strands from the shell or leave them in the shell to serve.

• Serve as a side dish or with your choice of sauce.

• Spaghetti squash size: I have a 6 qt. Instant Pot and when we tested this recipe, we used a 3.75 lb. squash. It just fit so keep that in mind when purchasing your squash. A smaller squash would be fine (reduce cooking time slightly) but if you have a larger squash, you probably won’t be able to put the lid on the Instant Pot.
• Storage: Cooked spaghetti squash will keep for about a week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can freeze cooked spaghetti squash (see the post above for specific instructions). 
• More cooking methods: Try baked spaghetti squash and slow cooker spaghetti squash, too. 

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 94kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 54mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 362IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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