Eggplant Puttanesca with Spaghetti Squash

This spaghetti squash recipe is topped with a hearty eggplant puttanesca sauce packed with olives, capers, and Italian herbs-a healthy, veggie-loaded, low-carb dinner full of flavor. Vegan. Video.

Here is a healthy vegan low-carb dinner idea!  Roasted spaghetti squash with eggplant puttanesca is packed with rich, robust flavor, holding its own next to a big bold red wine-  and it’s meals like this I crave when the weather turns cold and blustery out.

Even though the spaghetti squash takes 30-40 minutes to roast in the oven, I still consider this a quick “weeknight” meal, because the eggplant puttanesca can be made at the same time – relatively quickly and easily. It’s hearty and delicious. Keep it vegan or sprinkle with pecorino cheese.

Eggplant is sautéed with onion and garlic, then simmered with tomatoes and red wine and cooked down a bit. Capers and olives give it depth and flavor while chili flakes add just the right amount of heat. Keep this totally vegan and dairy-free, or dust it with finely grated Romano cheese, for a tasty and healthy fall dinner.

Eggplant Puttanesca With Spaghetti Squash Ingredients

• Spaghetti squash - The tender, noodle-like base of the dish, offering a light, wholesome alternative to pasta. Its mild flavor pairs beautifully with hearty sauces. You can substitute traditional pasta noodles if preferred.
• Olive oil - Used in stages to sauté the vegetables and build rich flavor throughout the sauce. It adds body and helps everything caramelize gently.
• Eggplant - Adds a silky, hearty texture and absorbs the savory flavors of the sauce. When cooked down, it creates a rich, satisfying base that makes the dish feel substantial.
• Red onion - Brings natural sweetness and depth as it softens and cooks, forming the aromatic foundation of the sauce.
• Garlic - Adds bold, savory flavor and aroma that complements the tomatoes and vegetables. Rough chopping keeps the flavor rustic and pronounced.
• Red bell pepper - Provides sweetness, color, and a tender bite, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Crushed or diced tomatoes - Form the heart of the sauce, adding bright acidity and classic Italian flavor.
• Italian herbs (or oregano and thyme) - Infuse the sauce with warm, savory notes that give it that familiar, comforting Mediterranean flavor.
• Kosher salt and red chili flakes - Season the sauce and add a gentle touch of heat, which can be adjusted to taste.
• Red wine - Adds depth and richness, helping to round out the acidity of the tomatoes and create a more complex sauce.
• Capers and a splash of brine - Bring bright, briny pops of flavor that wake up the entire dish and add a subtle Mediterranean flair.
• Olives - Add savory, salty richness and a satisfying contrast to the tender vegetables. Green or kalamata olives both work well.
• Fresh Italian parsley - Adds freshness and color right at the end, brightening the finished dish.
• Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional) - Provides salty, nutty richness that melts slightly into the warm sauce. A drizzle of olive oil can be used instead for a dairy-free finish.

How to make Eggplant SPaghetti Squash

Step 1

Roast the Spaghetti Squash, open side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cutting the Spaghetti Squash width-wise preserves its long spaghetti-like strands. Or for a faster method, go here: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash.

Step 2:

While the Spaghetti squash is roasting, make the flavorful Eggplant Puttanesca Sauce! Sauté the onion, eggplant, garlic, red pepper, and spices, and then add the capers and olives. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasonings so this is flavorful and robust. Adding a little bit of caper brine ups the flavor and depth. I like mine on the spicy side so I usually up the chili flakes.

Tip: You want this extra flavor because the mild-tasting spaghetti squash will mute the flavor a lot.

Step 3:

Turn the spaghetti squash: When the spaghetti squash is knife-tender, tip them on their sides, and roast 5-10 more minutes, to DRY them out, letting steam evaporate. Let cool a bit, scoop out seeds, then toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Step 4:

Top the seasoned Spaghetti Squash with the flavorful Eggplant Puttanesca Sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, pecorino cheese or try it with this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a leafy green salad or crusty bread. You may like our gluten-free bread.

Storage

Save the leftovers for lunch the next day, and the flavors deepen even more. Leftovers will keep best in separate, air-tight containers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Variations and Ways to Adapt

Feel free to top this with your favorite protein! Or keep it just as it is. Sometimes I’ll add white beans to the puttanesca, or top this with grilled chicken for my husband.

More Spaghetti Squash recipes you may like:

• How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash with Chard, Walnuts and Chèvre
• Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms, Garlic & Sage
• Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Hope you love this vegan Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Eggplant Puttanesca Sauce as much as we have!

xoxo

Sylvia

Spaghetti Squash W/ Eggplant Puttanesca Video

Eggplant Spaghetti Squash Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 30 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 2-3 1x
• Category: Main, vegan
• Method: roasted
• Cuisine: American, Italian
• Diet: Gluten-Free, low carb, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Description

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Eggplant Puttanesca Sauce- a rich, robust vegan dinner recipe that is low in carbs, keto and gluten free! Easy and simple.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 3 lb Spaghetti Squash- ( or sub pasta noodles)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil- divided
• 1 medium eggplant - cut into a small dice ( 4 cups)
• 1 red onion- diced
• 4-6 cloves garlic- rough chopped
• 1 red bell pepper- diced
• 14 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dry Italian herbs ( or sub oregano and thyme)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, more to taste
• Splash red wine
• 2 tablespoons capers, more to taste, plus a splash of the brine
• 3 tablespoons slice olives ( like green or kalamata)
• Garnish: fresh Italian parsley, grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or a drizzle olive oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Cut squash in half widthwise, place open side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30- 40 minutes (depending on size) or until knife tender. Turn on their sides, allowing steam to escape, continue roasting 5-10 minutes, so they dry out a bit. While the squash is roasting, make the Eggplant Puttanesca sauce.
3. Sauté: In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and eggplant, and saute, stirring often for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and red bell pepper, turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until eggplant is tender, about 10-12 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Simmer. Add crushed tomatoes, a generous splash of wine, chili flakes, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and simmer on low heat 5-10 more minutes. Add capers and olives.
5. Taste, adjust salt, spice level and add more capers or olives to taste. Sometimes I’ll add a little splash of the caper or olive brine, to bump up the flavor.
6. Fluff and season. When spaghetti squash is tender, scoop the seeds out- then scoop out spaghetti squash strands into a bowl, and fluff and season well with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
7.  Serve. Divide among bowls and top with the eggplant puttanesca. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and grated cheese (optional)  or drizzle olive oil.
8. Alternatively, you can serve this right out of the spaghetti squash shell ( making sure to season the squash, mixing with a fork before topping with the puttanesca).

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Notes

A faster method for cooking Spaghetti Squash 

You want the puttanesca to be really flavorful before you add it to the mild-flavored spaghetti squash – so make sure to taste it and season it up well!

Add Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle if you like!

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 428
• Sugar: 26.1 g
• Sodium: 1246.2 mg
• Fat: 22.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 58.5 g
• Fiber: 14.3 g
• Protein: 6.9 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg