Skip to main content

Sheet-Pan Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

4.3

(44)

A bowl of spaghetti squash puttanesca.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi

Rather than pasta, serve the salty and spicy flavors of this classic Southern Italian dish with spaghetti squash "noodles" for a delicious, hearty vegetarian dinner.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    50 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings (7–8 cups)

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash (3 1/2–4 pounds)
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet, drained, finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
12 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1 pint shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 cup ricotta

Special equipment:

An 18x13" rimmed baking sheet

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Season inside of squash with salt and pepper. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray; lay halves cut side down on sheet and bake 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine anchovy (if using), garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl. Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer tomato mixture to sheet alongside squash. Return to oven and cook until squash is tender and shell is easily pierced, about 15 minutes more.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate; set aside.

    Step 4

    Remove sheet from oven. Scrape squash crosswise to pull strands from shells into a medium bowl; discard shells. Using the back of a fork or spoon, gently push down on tomatoes on sheet to break them up and release their juices. Scrape tomato mixture and any accumulated juices into bowl with squash. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, then toss with half of basil, parsley, and reserved pine nuts. Divide among bowls and dollop with ricotta. Garnish with remaining basil, parsley, and pine nuts.

Read More
In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
This fragrant salad uses bulgur wheat as its base, an endlessly versatile, slightly chewy grain that’s very popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.
Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This marinara sauce is great tossed with any pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.