Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Hello there! I hope you enjoy this recipe for Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash!
It's comes together quickly and easily, uses healthy spaghetti squash (you'll see a bunch in store as they are coming into season soon - around early fall to winter), and features common pantry staples as well as a few choice ingredients that are big on flavour!
How to make this Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Recipe?
Place a halved and seeded spaghetti squash cut side up on a metal trivet in the Instant Pot. Fill the bottom of the pot with a cup of water. Ingredient amounts and full instructions in the recipe card below.
Seal and cook the squash for 7 minutes at high pressure before applying a quick release.
As the spaghetti squash cooks, prepare the remaining ingredients.
After the spaghetti squash is ready, use a fork to remove the flesh from the squash. If it's too hot, let it cool a little before doing this step.
Melt the butter in olive oil and sauté the garlic and spices before adding back in the spaghetti squash.
Mix in the parmesan cheese and parsley until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
What's in this Instant Pot recipe?
The star ingredient in this recipe is spaghetti squash, which is a winter squash with a hard, pale yellow skin and yellow flesh with a mild, slightly sweet, nutty taste.
Cooking spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot is so easy and quick - way faster than an oven.
Simply place halved and seeded spaghetti squash on the trivet with some water on the bottom of pot and pressure cook for only 7 minutes (depending how soft you like your spaghetti squash) before a quick release.
Yep, there is a little time for pressurizing, but not as long as it takes to heat up the oven and cook it in there.
Then you use a fork to easily pull at the yellow flesh to get the thin spaghetti-like strands. No spiralizer required.
It's a delicious alternative to spaghetti; although it doesn't have the same texture or flavour, the shape (long strands) is close enough.
It's also healthier. Spaghetti squash is low in calories and a good source of fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium.
Olive oil, butter, fresh minced garlic, freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, and red pepper flakes (this ingredient is optional) are combined together to form a delicious, simple sauce that's rich, pungent (from the garlic), salty, and a little spicy from the black pepper, but even more so from the red pepper flakes if you chose to add them.
Sharp, nutty, salty, and slightly fruity in flavour, Parmesan cheese (I highly recommend using Parmigiano Reggiano; it's the best!) along with fresh chopped parsley is tossed into the cooked spaghetti squash and garlicky butter sauce, until melted and distributed throughout.
Important TIP: Use parmesan from a block to ensure that it melts properly. Often, pre-grated/shredded cheeses have an anti-caking ingredient (or stabilizer) added, which can affect how it melts. In particular, cheese clumps tend to form when added to hot foods.
Place it back into the hollowed spaghetti squash skins or in a bowl or plate and you've got a scrumptious meal in less than 30 minutes!
Looking for more easy Instant Pot Meal Ideas? Take a look at these ones:
- Mushroom Pasta with Creamy Cheese Sauce
- Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy
- Lemon Pepper Orzo and Chicken Thighs
This tasty spaghetti squash recipe is:
- Delicious: full of garlicky and cheesy flavour!
- A great meal for two.
- A great pasta substitute: making this meal a little bit healthier too (i.e. way less carbs!).
- Simple and easy to make: Everything is made in the Instant Pot.
- Made with minimal ingredients that are pantry staples (e.g. salt, pepper, and oil) or easily found in most supermarkets.
- Perfect to have as an easy weeknight meal.
I hope you try this recipe! If you do, please leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I'm @yay_for_food on Instagram. I'll love a picture!
Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
The classic combination of garlic and parmesan create the perfect sauce for this quick and easy Instant Pot spaghetti squash recipe. A lower carb alternative to pasta that’s ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise and seeded
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (depending on how garlicky you like it)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano), finely grated *(see first note)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pour water into the Instant Pot and then place the metal trivet (handles side up) into the pot.
- Place the spaghetti squash halves cut side up on top of the trivet. Seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure (“manual"/"pressure cook" function) for 7 minutes (for a tender texture)** before applying a quick pressure release to completely depressurize (until floating valve drops).
- Carefully remove the spaghetti squash from the Instant Pot. Place on a clean flat surface and shred the squash using a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands into a bowl (if it is too hot, let it cool a little first).
- Empty the water out of the Instant Pot and wipe dry before returning the pot back to the device. Set the Instant Pot to “sauté.”
- Place the butter and olive oil into the Instant Pot and let the butter completely melt. Then stir in the garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is lightly browned (careful to not burn it).
- Press “cancel” to turn off the Instant Pot. Return the spaghetti squash to the Instant Pot along with the parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss together to evenly coat the spaghetti squash with everything. Best served immediately.
Notes
- *Use cheese from a block to ensure that it melts properly. Often, pre-grated/shredded cheeses have an anti-caking ingredient (or stabilizer) added, which can affect how it melts. In particular, cheese clumps tend to form when added to hot foods.
- ** If you prefer an al dente texture, decrease the pressure time to 5-6 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 609mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 7gSugar: 12gProtein: 11g
I made this recipe a few weeks ago. The end result was just amazing! So much so, that I'm going back to it today, the 4th of July! Paired with some Italian sausage on the grill, and some corn on the cob, and we're set for a celebration! Thank you for the recipe! Love my instant pot, too!
You're welcome, Annette! I'm so glad to hear that you like this recipe. It sounds like your day will be full of delicious food! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and Happy 4th of July!
Added cooked cubed chicken to make it a one pot meal. Awesomeness!
Great idea! So glad you enjoyed this meal. Thanks Sheri!
Is the carbohydrate cpunt correct? It states 36g 😳 but when I Google carb count on spaghetti squash I get 7 grams per cup.
Hi Linda. The nutrition values are automatically calculated using the Nutritionix calculator. Based on your question, I decided to double-check so I used the MyFitnessPal app with the brand of ingredients in this recipe and came up with a lower value for the overall carbs and adjusted the nutritional information. That being said, there is quite a bit of spaghetti squash in this recipe and also cheese... so it adds up quickly. I hope this helps!
Wow, this is a recipe I didn't even know I needed until now. I love spaghetti squash and recently bought an instant pot. I never would have thought to try making it in the instant pot. What a time saver!!
Thanks Whitney! I hope you give this recipe a try!
This made a great meal for hubby and I, he wasn't sure when I was cooking them, but he loved them!!!
Hoping to try them on the kids next time.
Thank you Claire! I'm glad he loved it!
This was delicious! Definitely a keeper- yum!
Thank you so much!
This recipe couldn't get any more perfect!!!!
Quick****Easy****YUMMY
WIN***WIN***WIN
Thanks so much Rochelle! 🙂
I'm new to the Instantpot world. Can you cook more than one spaghetti squash at a time? I have the 8 quart. The recipe looks wonderful!
Hi Tracy! Sorry I can't help. I've never tried to cook more than one squash at a time so I can't tell you how it will turn out.
This was super easy and tasty! I love being able to saute right in the instant pot afterwards. Mine came out a bit more al dente than I wanted but I think my squash was bigger than 2lbs. I eyeballed the ingredients instead of measuring and added extra garlic; used fresh grated gruyere and ended up adding some of that parmesan in a can as well lol. We had some burger patties to go with 🙂
I'm glad that you enjoyed the spaghetti squash, Elliott! Your additions sound delicious!
Oh Cool! This looks like such a nice healthy recipe for my instant pot. Thanks! I love spaghetti squash.
Thanks! I hope you give it a try!
Hello, I tried Spaghetti squash once and it seemed like alot of work first to cut in two. Second. That when it was done you had to take a fork and take it to get the spaghetti strands out of it. And last it was crunchy tasting to me not soft. Does cooking it in the instant pot make for a better experience. I would be willing to try again your recipe sounds good?.
Hi Debra! I like cooking spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot because it cooks in way less time than the oven.
I cut the spaghetti squash in half because I prefer to remove the seeds prior to cooking and it decreases the overall cook time. However, if you search on Google, you'll be able to find Instant Pot recipes that cook the spaghetti squash whole so it will be easier to slice into the soften skin. For more tender spaghetti squash strands, you'll have to cook it for a longer period of time depending on the weight.
I haven’t tried your recipe yet but had made it in the oven. If you microwave fork pricked whole squash for 5 minutes it is easier to cut in half.
Thanks for the great tip!
Made this tonight, with chicken Parmesan. Definitely a keeper! My husband, who doesn’t have to watch carbs, loved it too!!! Thank you for sharing.
Amy, thank you for the glowing review! I appreciate it!
I LOVE spaghetti squash and never cooked it in the instant pot. It came out perfect. It was a little crunchy which I like it like that, and it was so satisfying!!
Do you have any recommendations if someone doesn’t have a trivet? Thanks!
Can I double this? I need to make for a family of 3. Looks so yummy and I’m embarrassed I’ve never cooked it!! Can’t wait.
I made this and the squash was mush after cooking 7 minutes. I also added a good bit more Parmesan cheese and already cooked chicken for a one dish meal. The flavor was good, just mushy.