How To Cook Spaghetti Squash in an Instant Pot

updated Oct 8, 2022
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Make cooking spaghetti squash easier and faster with an electric pressure cooker. Here's how.

Makes1 (2-pound) squash

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Squash season means tucking into as much butternut, pumpkin, and spaghetti squash as possible from now until spring. Butternut and whole pumpkins can be peeled and trimmed, but spaghetti squash requires its own preparation to keep its signature strands of noodle-like squash intact.

The oven and microwave are two tried-and-true cooking options for spaghetti squash, but last winter I discovered I could cook a whole one — seriously, even not halved or trimmed — in my electric pressure cooker, and I will never cook a spaghetti squash the same way again.

Spaghetti squash in the electric pressure cooker requires zero prep and comes out tender so that it’s easy to cut open and remove the seeds. It makes eating spaghetti squash even more enjoyable.

Cook a Whole Squash in an Electric Pressure Cooker

The electric pressure cooker can steam a whole two-pound squash in about 15 minutes. Remember that most electric pressure cookers need time to come up to pressure and release pressure post-cooking, so this technique takes about 35 minutes from start to finish depending on your cooker.

Add one cup of water to the cooker and then set its steamer basket or a metal trivet inside the pot as well. Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife, making about a dozen 1/2-inch vents for the steam to penetrate the squash’s skin.

Then add the squash to the electric pressure cooker, set for 15 minutes on high pressure, and cook away. When your 15 minutes is up, release the pressure and remove the squash. Give the squash at least 10 minutes to cool before halving and shredding.

Get Longer Spaghetti Squash Strands

By cutting the squash in half across its width (rather than length), you can get longer strands of the squash, better for mimicking our favorite pasta staple.

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes

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Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife. Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife, making about 12 (1/2-inch) vents for the steam to penetrate the squash’s skin. (Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash in an Instant Pot

Make cooking spaghetti squash easier and faster with an electric pressure cooker. Here's how.

Makes 1 (2-pound) squash

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    (2-pound) spaghetti squash

  • 1 cup

    water

Equipment

Instructions

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  1. Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife. Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife, making about 12 (1/2-inch) vents for the steam to penetrate the squash's skin.

  2. Insert the steamer insert and add the water. Add the water to an electric pressure cooker insert and then set its steamer basket or a metal trivet inside as well.

  3. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Add the squash to the insert. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.

  4. Use instant release to release the cooker's pressure and remove the squash. When your 15 minutes is up, release the pressure immediately. Carefully open the cooker and remove the squash.

  5. Cool slightly, then shred the squash with a fork. Give the squash at least 10 minutes to cool before halving, removing the seeds, and shredding.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftover cooked squash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.