If you want to enjoy your pasta while sill on a gluten-free and low-carb diet, you need to consider spaghetti squash. Squash replicates spaghetti in a great way, its orange flesh comes out in very long strings, just like spaghetti. You can pair spaghetti squash with many different toppings and sauces, and you can perfectly add it to your diet thanks to the additional vitamins associated with it.
It could be time-consuming if you decide to make your spaghetti squash yourself from scratch. You could do well to freeze them so that you will always have whenever you are in need. After freezing, you will need to reheat your spaghetti squash. The question is how should you reheat it?
You have a few options you can use to reheat your spaghetti squash, it is possible to reheat it on a skillet to get a crispier outcome, you could use a steamer to reheat it for efficiency, you could also use a stovetop as a fail-proof method, or a microwave for a quick option. Ensure you store your spaghetti squash rightly so that the taste and quality will remain the same when you want to eat it.
The Best Way to Reheat Spaghetti Squash
Using a stovetop is our favorite way to reheat spaghetti squash. A stovetop could be our favorite to reheat most of our dishes, Using an oven is likely not to guarantee the texture and taste after despite that an oven will evenly heat your food.
Reheating your Spaghetti Squash on the Skillet
Your spaghetti squash needs to thaw first before you reheat it on a skillet. Once you have thawed it, put your squash inside your plate and then pat it to dry as much as possible because the more moisture you remove from the squash, the better it will be. Under medium heat, heat the skillet and add one tablespoon of your olive oil.
Immediately you notice that the olive oil is heated, add your squash, and allow it to be in thin layers inside the pan by spreading it around. Season it with pepper and salt and allow it to cook until crisp and golden brown. You will not get the normal soft noodles as usual, but rather, you will have more tasty and crispy noodles.
Pros (Upsides) of using the skillet: Your squash will become crispy when you use a skillet to reheat it. This texture is different from the outcome of reheating the spaghetti inside a steamer, stovetop, or microwave. Furthermore, this method is not too time-consuming.
Cons (downsides) of using the skillet: Using a skillet will not allow you to have an outcome of soft squash. However, this is a bit debatable. If you want soft squash, then you should not use this method. Use it only when you want your squash to be crispy.
Reheating your Spaghetti Squash inside a Steamer
You have to first leave your spaghetti squash to defrost inside the fridge before you reheat it inside a steamer. Once you have defrosted it, remove your spaghetti squash from the fridge and put the strands inside your steamer. Leave the strands to cook through and completely warm by steaming the squash for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately once you have reheated.
Pros (upsides) of using the steamer: If you don’t want your spaghetti squash to burn or become dry, using a steamer is your best bet. You might not have the chance to reheat a lot at once, you could get a larger type of steamer to help you warm a larger quantity at once.
Cons (downside) of using the steamer: When you compare it with using a microwave, using a steamer takes a longer time. You have to allow the steamer to first heat up before the squash now takes its time to become heated through and through. If you leave it inside your steamer for longer than it should be, your spaghetti squash is likely to over-steam and become too mushy and soft.
Reheating your Spaghetti Squash in a Microwave
You have to first partially thaw your spaghetti squash inside the fridge or remove the squash simply from the refrigerator. Put your spaghetti squash inside a microwave-safe dish and sprinkle some olive oil on it with any of your preferred seasonings. Gently mix it and place the dish inside the microwave.
Use a paper towel or lid to partially cover your dish and allow the squash to cook for about 45 seconds on medium. Remove it from your microwave and stir it to see if the heat is enough, if it is not, put it back for extra 30 seconds inside the microwave.
Pros (upside) of using a microwave: Using a microwave is considered the quickest way to reheat your spaghetti squash and no one can deny this fact. You can reheat it from being frozen partially and within a minute, the spaghetti squash will be ready.
Cons (upside) of using a microwave: The squash could become hard after drying out if you refuse to cover it partially, if you don’t add a bit of olive oil and if you refuse to be careful. If you set the power too high, the squash will get burnt.
Reheating your Spaghetti Squash on a Stove
There is no need for you to completely defrost your spaghetti squash if you want to use a stovetop to reheat it. All you need to do is to put some water inside your saucepan and add salt lightly. Let the water boil before you add your spaghetti squash. Then, reduce the heat to low and allow your squash to remain for about 7 minutes in the already boiling water to simmer until the heat is even.
Pros (upsides) of using a stovetop: You don’t have to be concerned about your squash becoming dry when you use a stovetop in reheating your spaghetti squash because you will be reheating it inside boiled water. It is also possible to reheat your squash directly from frozen and you wouldn’t need to worry about the time to defrost it.
Cons (downside) of using a stovetop: When you compare using a stovetop with a microwave, it will take a longer time. The water has to first boil before you add the spaghetti squash for a few minutes. If you overcook the squash, it could turn soggy and mushy which you wouldn’t want to happen.
Is Reheated Spaghetti Squash As Good As Freshly Cooked Squash?
Freshly cooked spaghetti squash is better than the one that has been refrigerated or frozen but it does not mean you should not keep some for later. Spaghetti squash is a vegetable that comes in season and you could find it difficult to get it when not in season. It is good to have some stocked up inside your freezer if you love it.
Though reheated spaghetti may not have the excellence level of a fresh one, you will still get great taste and texture from it. Some texture and flavor will be lost during the process of freezing and defrosting, but it is not much. If you add some delicious sauces and ingredients, you might not notice any difference.
Freezing Spaghetti Squash
If you want to keep the freshness of your spaghetti squash for a long time, freeze it. What you should do is to partially cook your squash before you freeze it and leave it to stay inside the refrigerator in your colander for some hours before you freeze. This will allow excess moisture to be removed from your squash and also chills it down to prevent moisture in your freezer container.
Once it is chilled, you can place your spaghetti squash into your freezer bag. Ensure the bag is tightly sealed with excess air being removed as much as possible. Put a label and date on the bag to track when you should use it. You may also separate the squash into smaller sized-portions and put them inside individual freezable bags. This will help you to access single servings and you will need not to thaw the entire squash when you want to eat them.
If you keep it correctly, the spaghetti squash will retain the texture and quality for about 8 months. You can still eat it after then, but the texture and taste would have deteriorated.
Related Questions
Can you overcook spaghetti squash?
You could overcook squash and it will turn mushy or ruin the entire dish completely. If you want the best outcome, check your squash constantly until it gets ready.
How long can spaghetti squash be kept in the fridge?
You can keep your cooked squash inside the refrigerator in an air-tight container for about 3-5 days. The uncooked one can stay within 2 and 4 days. You should not waste your leftover squash, this is a great way to preserve it.
Does freezing spaghetti squash affects its nutritional value?
The nutritional value of spaghetti squash is not affected by freezing, all health benefits will still be intact. Freezing helps to slow down the rate of deterioration of its nutritional value.
