ingredients
- 1 whole spaghetti squash
- Olive oil
- 1 lb. ground bison or turkey
- (1) 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 – 2 T tomato paste
- 1 whole onion, chopped
- 1/2 c celery, chopped
- 1/2 c carrots, chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 c red wine (optional)
- 3 T kalamata olives, chopped
- 3 T non-pareil capers1 bay leafBunch of thymeStalk of rosemary
- 4-6 anchovy fillets (optional)
- red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- Garnish with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti Squash alla Puttanesca
Makes ~4+ servings
BAKE THE SQUASH:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Split squash in half and remove the seeds. Season cut halves with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper.
- Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Using a fork, scrape the squash strands from the shell.
BROWN THE MEAT:
- Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom pot (like a dutch oven) brown the ground meat over medium/high heat until cooked through.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
MAKE THE SAUCE:
- In the same pot, saute the chopped onion over medium high heat in olive oil. Stir occasionally until translucent.
- Add in chopped celery and carrots, stirring occasionally until softened.
- Add garlic, stirring until fragrant.Add browned meat back in.
- Add remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally. Simmer for at least 10 minutes until wine is reduced and sauce thickens. But this could simmer for much longer for richer flavor.
PLATE AND SERVE:
- Plate 1 cup of the scraped spaghetti squash.
- Top with 1 cup of tomato sauce.
- Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with a green vegetable side like steamed broccoli or a garden salad.
Cook’s notes
- Play with alternate “zoodles” like zucchini, summer squash, carrots, etc.
- Other roasted squashes like butternut and acorn work well here too.
- Right now I’m loving the Montreal Steak Seasoning from McCormick as an all purpose seasining. I’d use it on the roasted squash and also in the sauce.
- Feel free to use your favorite jarred tomato sauce and spruce it up with olives, capers, and more garlic! So easy!
- Add whatever other veggies you have, like mushrooms. They add bulk and volume, trace minerals, but few additional calories.
- Can be prepared with alterations to accomodate:
- vegetarian/vegan
- dairy free
- gluten free
These are estimated using Cronometer, based on the photo (a meal I prepared myself).
Inputs:
- 1 c spaghetti squash
- 1/2 c 93% lean ground turkey sauteed in 1 t. olive oil
- 1/3 c tomato sauce
- I imagine sodium is lower since I cooked the tomato sauce myself. The database in Cronometer assumes a jarred/commerically prepared tomato sauce.
- 1/4 c ea. onion, celery, carrot (cooked)
- 1T olives
- 1t capers
- 1 c steamed broccoli
- 1T shredded mozzarella cheese
