Spaghetti Squash in The Way a Whore Would Make It

Yesterday, I made 2 things that were new to me..Spaghetti Squash and Puttanesca sauce. Spaghetti squash is a squash that when cooked, the meat falls away in strands that resemble angel hair pasta. I was wary of trying this because I love my carbs and angel hair is my favorite kind of pasta. Spaghetti squash is always associated with dieters and I don't diet. However, I was really surprised that the squash was not only delicious and unique, it satisfied my pasta craving and didn't make my stomach feel as if I had just eaten a wet rock. It won't taste like pasta, it has a subtle squash flavor and is a little crunchy. It also has tons of vitamins and nutrients and is available year round.

Pasta alla Puttanesca translates into "Pasta in the way a whore would make it." Hence the name of this post haha. Historically, during the 1950s, Italian prostitutes could make this dish out of odds and ends in their pantries. They didn't have the luxury of shopping everyday like the goodie goodie Italian housewives and they didn't have the time to cook extravagant meals between customers...prostitutes are hard working girls. This sauce is spicy, robust, and pungent due to the use of anchovies, olives, capers and hot pepper flakes.

Spaghetti Squash in The Way a Whore Would Make It
1 whole spaghetti squash
Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pitted, chopped olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz) can of plain tomato sauce, natural and no salt added
2 Bay Leaves
sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and pierce the outsides with a fork (just a few stabs). Clean out the seeds and extra gunk in the inside. Rub the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place cut sides down on a cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes (until a fork can pierce it with only a little resistance). Meanwhile heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and bay leaves and saute until garlic is golden brown. Add the olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the squash is done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the squash is done, using a fork, lightly scrape the meat and you will see that it will fall apart like strands of pasta. To serve, top the pasta with the sauce in the empty squash shells. ENJOY!




Looks like a PICTURE whore

Spicing things up for Lurve

This post is for Ilurvemakeup . She left a comment on my last post asking for some tips on well known food. Namely, Italian food (BTW It's not terrible at all to like Italian food better than Filipino, Chinese and Cambodian aren't my favorite).

I make my own versions of Italian food all the time. I love cheese ravioli too and I think it would be perfectly fine to purchase frozen, already made ones (and jazz up a yummy sauce for it). You could also use my last recipe for the ravioli and substitute ricotta and parmesan cheeses for the sausage. You could add some spices and they would be awesome. Anyways, there are 4 things I almost always do when I'm making Italian food.


1. Add fresh, minced garlic. Granulated garlic is only for my dogs food lol. Nothing beats the taste that fresh garlic can do to a sauce. They aren't that expensive and a little goes a long way. You could also buy already chopped garlic in a little glass container, but those can taste weird. I've tried the organic kinds and those taste okay. ANYTHING BUT GRANULATED!! AHH!

2. Those big leaves are bay leaves. I believe that they are used in Filipino cooking so maybe you're familiar with them lurve. I've never seen them fresh, I always use the dried ones. They are very inexpensive. They add this pungent, savory flavor to the dish. Put them in after you add the oil (to saute veggies, garlic, etc.) and make sure you don't eat them...they're just for flavor.

3. Olive oil, and especially extra virgin olive oil add a delicate, fruity flavor to your food. It adds a lot to your sauces and I highly recommend it. It can get a little pricey, but it's totally worth it.

4. Oregano and basil give food that "Italian" flavor. They can get pricey sometimes when you buy them fresh. I use dried. When using dried herbs, use half as much as you would the fresh for the full effect. For a basil flavor, I use store bought pesto, which can be found in the tomato sauce section at your grocery store. Pesto and tomato sauce are awesome together.

I hope this helps! Keep in mind that me and the bf are usually on a strict budget. Spaghetti is usually looked at as something you make when you don't have much money, but if you use these inexpensive tips..you can cook something very special that'll make you feel like a hundred bucks ^.^ Unfortunately..I am still perfecting my lasagna recipe, but stay tuned and I'll eventually get to it!