With an easy cooking method, this Spaghetti Squash Baby Food is ideal for baby-led weaning or as an easy finger food. You can share this recipe with baby—just add more seasoning to your portion as you like.
Spaghetti Squash Baby Food
Transforming spaghetti squash into a soft, easy-to-eat food to share with baby is super easy. And it’s just as delicious to eat it yourself, so I hope this recipe does double duty as something the entire family can enjoy.
This roasted vegetable recipe is easy and fast, and you don’t have to learn any fancy spaghetti squash cutting techniques (promise!).
You can serve the roasted strands of squash as a baby finger food on its own; topped with a little marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes and cheese (sort of like how you’d serve pasta); or you can blend it into a puree. It’s very versatile and can be flavored with extra herbs and spices as you like.
(I am not a fan of using spaghetti squash as a vegetable pasta or as spaghetti squash lasagna since it is really not filling or a great source of nutrients that baby needs, such as complex carbs, protein, and fats. But it is a great option to serve along with pasta.)
Just like my Sweet Potato Baby Food and Butternut Squash Baby Food, this baby food recipe also stores well, so you can make it and serve it throughout the week. Win!
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Ingredients You Need
Below is a look at the ingredients you need to make this recipe. It is very straightforward, and there are optional ingredients you can add in for more flavor, too.
- Spaghetti squash: Look for yellow, oblong spaghetti squash near other squash at your supermarket. Select one that is golden yellow, rather than very pale. It will likely have a pale mark on one side where it sat on the ground as it grew.
- Olive oil: I brush the squash with olive oil to help it soften as it cooks. This is also an easy way to add healthy fats to baby food, which the kids need for brain development.
- Cinnamon, cumin, or Chinese Five Spice (optional): Add any of these flavors to add yum to the relatively mellow-tasting squash. If you plan to serve with marinara sauce, I would leave it plain.
- Marinara sauce and/or shredded cheese (optional): If you cook the squash without the optional seasonings, topping or serving with a little marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella is a yummy way to add flavor and nutrition. You can even add shredded basil for more flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to prepare this spaghetti squash recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of this post for the specifics and timing.
- Slice off the stem and base using a sharp knife. Cut into slices.
- Scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard.
- Arrange on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasonings.
- Bake until tender when poked with a knife and the strands loosen from the edges easily.
- Use a fork to loosen the strands of squash from the skin.
- Serve as is or paired with marinara sauce and cheese. You can also add the strands to a blender and blend into a baby food puree with a little liquid such as no-added-salt broth.
How to Store
Store leftover slices of spaghetti squash or the strands in a storage container in the fridge for up to a week. Serve cold, room temperature, or warmed.
You can cut the squash up to 5 days ahead. Store in a container or bag in the fridge until ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Babies can eat spaghetti squash cooked until soft and served as a baby-led weaning (blw) style food or pureed into a stage 1 baby food. There are options on how to do both of those options in this post.
You can feed a 6 month old squash of any kind as a blw-style food if cooked very soft or pureed into a smooth stage 1 baby food.
You can bake squash until tender, then transfer the flesh to a blender and blend smooth with a little liquid to make a stage 1 baby food.
Best Tips for Success
- To turn into a puree, add cooked squash to a blender and blend smooth, adding 1/4-½ cup liquid, such as no-salt-added broth, until smooth.
- Drizzle squash strands with additional olive oil to add more fats. (It is not the most filling food on its own.)
- Add one of the optional spices for additional flavor.
- Or, top the squash strands with shredded cheese and marinara sauce. Pop under the broiler to melt the cheese and warm through. Add extra flavor by adding shredded fresh basil or a tiny amount of dried oregano or thyme.
- You may enjoy your serving with sauteed onion or garlic, baby spinach or kale, halved cherry tomatoes, and/or cooked Italian sausage or ground beef.
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Spaghetti Squash Baby Food
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Wash and dry the squash. Slice the stem and the base off the squash. Cut into 2-inch slices. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard.
- Arrange rounds in a layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and rub to coat, turning each piece over so both sides are coated in oil.
- Sprinkle with any optional seasonings.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the pieces are tender when poked with a fork.
- Use a fork to loosen the strands of squash from the skin. Transfer to a plate to serve, adding marinara sauce and/or shredded cheese if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- To turn into a puree, add cooked squash to a blender and blend smooth, adding 1/4-½ cup liquid such as no-salt-added broth until smooth.
- Drizzle squash strands with additional olive oil before serving to add more fats. (It is not the most filling food on its own.)
- Add one of the optional spices for additional flavor.
- Or, top the squash strands with shredded cheese and marinara sauce. Pop under the broiler to melt the cheese and warm through. Add extra flavor by adding shredded fresh basil or a tiny amount of dried oregano or thyme.
- You may enjoy your serving with sauteed onion or garlic, baby spinach or kale, halved cherry tomatoes, and/or cooked Italian sausage or ground beef.
