Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Puttanesca

crave healthy comfort food...

One of my favorite comfort foods is pasta. Macaroni and cheese, baked ziti, lasagna, really anything with a noodle, I'm in! Unfortunately, pasta is super high in carbs. So, it's important to enjoy in moderation. That's pretty difficult considering my husband is Italian and nearly every meal he wants to make includes pasta. So, for this post, I'm trying something totally new - spaghetti squash.

Yep, I've never made or even had spaghetti squash before tonight. But, in the spirit of eating healthier in this new year, I thought it was time to try it out. I was quite skeptical, but have to say, pleasantly surprised. The squash, while not the same as pasta, is a pretty good substitute. I'm serving this spaghetti squash with a puttanesca sauce. To make this sauce better for you, I'm adding tuna and arugula. Both of these are not traditional ingredients in puttanesca sauce. All in all, this meal is well rounded and satisfied my comfort food craving. Next time you have one, try out this recipe. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1 Spaghetti Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 C Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 C Pitted Kalamata Olives, roughly chopped
3 T Capers
1 (5 oz.) Can Tuna (in water), drained
1 T Anchovy Paste
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 (14 oz.) Can "No Salt Added" Diced Tomatoes
1 C Arugula
To Serve: Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Following the instructions on Eat Within Your Means, roast the spaghetti squash. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then squeeze the skin from the flesh and separate the strands into long "noodles". The manor in which the squash is cooked on the blog, worked really well. My "noodles" were nice and long!

While the squash is cooling, make the sauce. Heat 1-2 T extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the garlic, parsley, olives, capers, tuna, anchovy paste, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Next, wilt in the arugula and add the cooked spaghetti squash. Carefully toss together to combine, adding extra olive oil if needed. Adjust seasoning as needed (I didn't need to add any salt or pepper).

Finally, serve the "pasta" puttanesca topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a small side salad and bread. Here's to healthy comfort food!