"Anything you do in life, there will have been a first time." In keeping with 2020 being the year of firsts in my life time (first pandemic, first quarantine, first broken arm, first 1,000 piece puzzle obsession, etc.) it is fitting this is the year of eating spaghetti squash for the first time. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, it's true. Until this past weekend I have never made or tasted spaghetti squash before (gasp!). Unlike some of the other firsts of 2020 this will be one having much anticipated seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. in my future. While butternut and acorn squashes have been in my life for a very, very long time, spaghetti squash somehow managed to escape my 'fear of missing out' attention in spite of hearing others sing its' praises. But having now tasted it in this Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata I understand why it has become incredibly popular in the last ten years (talk about being late to the party!)
While I don't foresee eliminating pasta from my life anytime soon, the idea of tossing roasted spaghetti squash in a great marinara sauce or an arrabbiata is definitely something I could get used to. Especially now that I have finally gotten on this healthy alternative to carb rich pasta bandwagon. Thanks in large part to everyone's favorite cooking goddess Ina Garten.
To truly appreciate the deliciousness of spaghetti squash you need two things: a really good recipe (like this one or the one Ina shared in her cookbook) and an even better really sharp chef's knife (as you won't be able to make a clean cut of the shell of the spaghetti squash if you don't have one).
Once you cut the squash in half lengthwise all of the seeds need to be removed with a spoon. After brushing the sides and bottom of the squash with some olive oil, you drizzle olive oil and sprinkle a mixture of oregano/Kosher salt/black pepper into the cavity of each squash. Like most root vegetables, this one too benefits from being roasted at a relatively high temperature (425 degrees F for 50-60 minutes). The high heat contributes to the squash magically turning from a hard gourd like interior to a fluffy, tender spaghetti like texture and appearance.
Because the spaghetti squash itself has a relative neutral flavor (although some say it has a slight amount of sweetness to it), it benefits from being mixed with a highly flavored sauce. Like an arrabbiata sauce, one similar to a marinara but spicier due to the addition of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes. The major difference between the recipe for Arrabbiata Sauce below and Ina's is this one doesn't have red wine or fennel seeds in it. It also uses crushed and diced tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. Because really, who needs to take out and clean a food processor if you don't have to! More than likely the recipe for the Arrabbiata Sauce will yield slightly more than what you need for this dish. Because of that I recommend you mix the scooped out, fluffy roasted spaghetti squash and the Arrabbiata Sauce in a large mixing bowl instead of tossing all of the squash in the pot of the sauce. Due to the fact that not all medium sized squashes are the same size, you can then control the ratio of the squash to the sauce. Note: I had a little more than one cup of extra sauce.
Once the sauce and roasted squash are mixed together, it all goes back into the roasted shells. Topped with either fresh mozzarella or bocconcini and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the filled squash shells go into the 425 degree (F) oven for another 12-15 minutes.
The finishing touch is some additional grated cheese along with some julienned fresh basil.
I was surprised at how filling and deliciously satisfying this vegetarian, gluten free dish was. It only took one bite of the slightly spicy sauce/melted cheese/roasted squash dish for me to realize what I had been missing out all these years. But hey, better late than never, right?
We savored it as a main dish but it could easily be served as a side dish. Simple to make, beautiful to take in with your eyes, and nutritionally luscious, I am beyond smitten with this Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata. This definitely ranks up there as one of the more memorable first time dishes. But like I said earlier, the first time will not be the last time.
Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata (inspired by Ina Garten's Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata recipe in her new cookbook "Modern Comfort Food"
Serves 4
Ingredients
Arrabbiata Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14-16 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano diced tomatoes
2-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (strongly recommend using 3 Tablespoons)
2-3 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
10-12 fresh basil leaves, sliced into slivers
14-16 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano diced tomatoes
2-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (strongly recommend using 3 Tablespoons)
2-3 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
10-12 fresh basil leaves, sliced into slivers
Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata
2 medium sized spaghetti squashes (approximately 3 pounds each)
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing outside of the squash
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into 1 inch pieces or fresh bocconcini
4 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
8-10 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Directions
Arrabbiata Sauce
1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a heavy deep saucepan. Add garlic slices and cook until lightly browned.
2. Add crushed and diced tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and add Kosher salt, Aleppo pepper, and sugar. Cook for at least 30 minutes (but up to 50 minutes) until sauce has slightly thickened.
4. Add slivered basil to sauce in last five minutes of simmering.
2. Add crushed and diced tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and add Kosher salt, Aleppo pepper, and sugar. Cook for at least 30 minutes (but up to 50 minutes) until sauce has slightly thickened.
4. Add slivered basil to sauce in last five minutes of simmering.
Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
2. Using a sharp knife, cut each squash in half lengthwise. Begin by inserting the tip of a large chef's knife into the side of the squash and then cutting all the way through. Note: Just be careful when cutting this very hard shelled gourd.
3. Remove seeds and place the squash cut side up on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
4. Mix together the dried oregano, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
5. Brush the sides of squash with olive oil.
6. Divide the 6 Tablespoons of olive oil between the four squash halves.
7. Evenly sprinkle the oregano/salt/pepper mixture over each squash half.
8. Roast the squash for 50-60 minutes or until the flesh is tender and edges are beginning to brown.
9. Reheat the marinara sauce.
10. Scoop out almost all of the spaghetti squash (leaving 1/2 inch border of the squash in the shells) and place in a large bowl.
11. Ladle the hot sauce into the bowl of the squash until the desired consistency. Note: You may end up an extra 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
12. Spoon the mixture back into the shells.
13. Evenly divide the mozzarella cheese between the four squash halves.
14. Sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
15. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the squash is hot and the cheese has melted.
16. Top the baked squash with some julienned basil and serve immediately.
Notes: (1) Instead of baking the squash/marinara mixture in the squash shells, bake in baking dish. (2) My current favorite fresh mozzarella is made by Murray Cheese.