“Spaghetti” alla Puttanesca is absolutely delicious and super quick & easy to prepare! It’s a great go-to meal during the busy work week since most ingredients (like olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies) can be easily stored. You’ll fall in love with this gluten free & paleo spin on a classic Italian dish!
So, I was going to talk about the health benefits of this flavourful Italian dish, BUT got sidetracked by some other interesting facts when I was doing recipe research …
DID YOU KNOW? Spaghetti alla puttanesca literally means prostitute’s spaghetti!
And that’s why we’re not talking about health today – and instead learning about how this dish got its name.
Some believe this was the easiest dish prostitutes could prepare between customers because the low cost, easily stored ingredients required little shopping or preparation.
Others believe it was was created by Sandro Petti, the co-owner of the restaurant Rangio Felon. The story goes that some customers arrived late to eat and because the restaurant had run out of many fresh ingredients, they asked Petti to prepare ‘una puttanata qualsiasi’, which literally translates as ‘a whore’s any’ but means any rubbish/ garbage. So Petti created a dish with what he had left in the kitchen. The resulting pasta dish was liked so much by the customers that Petti put it on the restaurant menu calling it ‘spaghetti all puttanesca’.
Moral of the story (whichever story you choose to believe): Spaghetti alla puttanesca is not only quick and easy to whip up, but it’s also a great go-to meal during the busy work week since most ingredients (like olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies) can be easily stored in your kitchen.
Now check out my gluten free & paleo spin on a classic spaghetti alla puttanesca.
"Spaghetti" alla Puttanesca is absolutely delicious and super quick & easy to prepare! It's a great go-to meal during the busy work week since most ingredients (like olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies) can be easily stored. You'll fall in love with this gluten free & paleo spin on a classic Italian dish!
Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds with spoon.
Bake at 400F for 30-40 min (first 10 min bake with flesh down, then turn so skin is down for remaining time). Fork should pierce skin easily when squash is cooked.
Use a fork to scrape out the strands of squash.
Puttanesca Sauce
In a large pan, sauté garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes in 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat. Break apart anchovies.
Once garlic is lightly golden, add tomatoes and crush with a fork. Add some salt and cook at medium heat until tomatoes break down, roughly 10-minutes.
Add in olives and capers and let simmer on low heat for another 10-minutes.
Add cooked spaghetti squash into the puttanesca pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil and coat noodles with sauce.
Garnish with finely chopped parsley and serve!
Notes
For spaghetti squash: Cooking time varies depending on the size of the squash. Check regularly to avoid overcooking the squash. You want the noodles to be ‘al dente’. Time your spaghetti squash so that it’s done cooking around the same time as your sauce.
Not a fan of anchovies? Try tuna or chicken instead.
Make this dish plant-based by replacing anchovies with beans.
Easy Baked Drumsticks are the perfect wholesome food to add to your weeknight dinner menu. This 4 ingredient recipe is quick to prepare–just toss everything in a bowl, place in the oven and wait for crispy & juicy drumsticks to appear! This recipe is AIP friendly, low-carb, keto & paleo.
DID YOU KNOW? Dark meat contains more nutrients than white meat.
Because white meat has about half the saturated fat of dark meat, it has been considered the “healthier” alternative.
BUT while white meat is largely a protein delivery system, dark meat contains not only a high source of protein, but nutrients too.
Dark meat is far richer in minerals such as iron, zinc and selenium, as well as vitamins A, K, and the B complex — B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) B6, B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin).
In addition, dark meat is high in taurine – a nutrient known to aid in anti-inflammation, blood pressure regulation, healthy nerve function, the production of bile acid, which breaks down fat, and other important functions.
Consider replacing some of your white meat chicken dishes with some dark meat chicken dishes. Try my Easy Baked Drumsticks and some of my other delicious dark chicken meat dishes …
Easy Baked Drumsticks are the perfect wholesome food to add to your weeknight dinner menu. This 4 ingredient recipe is quick to prepare--just toss everything in a bowl, place in the oven and wait for crispy & juicy drumsticks to appear! This recipe is AIP friendly, low-carb, keto & paleo.
Wild Salmon with Pesto is the not only super healthy, but real quick and easy to make! All you need is fresh wild salmon, dairy free pesto and 20-minutes. Paleo, low-carb & keto.
DID YOU KNOW? Wild salmon is high in Vitamin D.
On average, wild-caught salmon contains 988 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce or 165% of the RDI. Some studies have found even higher levels in wild salmon — up to 1,300 IU per serving!
Up to 50% of the world’s population may not get enough sun causing many people to be deficient in vitamin D. This is partly because people spend more time indoors, wear sunblock outside and eat a Western diet low in good sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to everything from skin problems to weight gain to autoimmune disease to cancer and heart disease.
This stresses the need for all of us to get plenty of sun exposure, and supplement or eat vitamin D-rich foods, such as wild salmon, on a regular basis.
Pair Wild Salmon with Pesto with one of these healthy sides …
Wild Salmon with Pesto is the not only super healthy, but real quick and easy to make! All you need is fresh wild salmon, dairy free pesto and 20-minutes. Paleo, low-carb & keto.
Chicken Burgers with Cilantro Aioli & Zoodles is a tasty dinner recipe that you’ll want to make time and time again! These golden burgers are easy to make and taste like chicken nuggets, but they’re way healthier for you. Gluten, grain & dairy free + low-carb, keto & paleo. AIP version provided.
I never thought I’d see the day where a chicken burger would find its way to the top of my list of favourite dishes, but the day has come.
I didn’t think much of these sticky patties as I cursed at them while struggling to roll them into balls. BUT after just one bite of this golden burger with cilantro aioli, I thought I was eating a chicken nugget! The combination of flavours was bang on – and for all the cilantro haters out there, you could hardly even taste it.
I had a big bag of organic zucchini from Costco in my fridge, so I got a little creative and made some tasty zoodles as a base for the chicken burgers. It turned out to be a great complement to the burgers.
Now check out this awesome keto & paleo friendly recipe. It may just make it to the top of your list of fav foods too!
What you need for Chicken Burgers with Cilantro Aioli & Zoodles:
Chicken Burgers with Cilantro Aioli & Zoodles is a tasty dinner recipe that you'll want to make time and time again! These golden burgers are easy to make and taste like chicken nuggets, but they're way healthier for you. Gluten, grain & dairy free + low-carb, keto & paleo. AIP version provided.
Add mayo and cilantro into a small bowl and mix together. Set aside in fridge until ready to serve.
Burger Patties
Add all burger patty ingredients into a bowl and combine using your hands.
Form 4 large burger patties. Once you've flatted the patty, press your finger into the center to form an indent in the patty (this will help cook the center of the burger).
Cover bottom of frying pan with avocado oil and set temperature to medium-high.
Add burgers to pan when oil is hot and cook over medium heat, flipping occasionally. Burgers should get golden as they cook. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the burger (~10-15 minutes).
Zoodles
Spiralize zucchini and set aside in a bowl.
While burger patties are cooking, use a separate pan and sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant (medium heat).
Add in zucchini noodles and toss using tongs to coat noodles in oil.
Add salt and pepper and continue to toss. Cook for 5-minutes then transfer to plates.
Add chicken burgers on top of zoodles, top with cilantro aioli (or other toppings of choice) and enjoy!
Notes
For AIP version: Omit cumin in burger patties and the cilantro aioli topping. Instead top burger patties with AIP friendly burger toppings like sliced avocado (or guacamole), pickles, onions, etc.
Haddock with Mustard & Thyme is a simple & flavourful fish recipe! It only takes 20-minutes to prepare, so it’s great for the busy work week. This recipe is AIP friendly, paleo, keto & low-carb!
DID YOU KNOW? Haddock is very low in calories (77 calories per 3 ounces), high in protein (17 grams per 3 ounces) and an excellent source of selenium, phosphorus and some of the B vitamins.
If you don’t like or can’t find haddock, you can use another white fish of choice. I recommend sourcing out wild sustainable fish whenever possible.
What you need for Haddock with Mustard & Thyme:
Wild haddock fillets (or other white fish of choice)
Haddock with Mustard & Thyme is a simple & flavourful fish recipe! It only takes 20-minutes to prepare, so it's great for the busy work week. This recipe is AIP friendly, paleo, keto & low-carb!
Garlic & Dill Salmon is nutritious and delicious! Prepare and cook this omega 3 rich fish in under 20-minutes! It’s the perfect AIP, paleo & keto friendly recipe for the busy work week!
DID YOU KNOW? Wild-caught (not farmed) salmon is known to be one of the most nutritious foods.
Research has linked this nutrient-dense fish to everything from improving heart, brain, bone, skin and eyesight health to extending life span and preventing heart attacks & cancer.
Not only does wild salmon contain one of the highest omega-3 contents of any type of fish – making it a great anti-inflammatory food – but each serving is also packed with tons of other vitamins, minerals and protein as well.
Aim for 1-2 servings of wild salmon like Sockeye, Chinook, Coho or Pink each week. If you’re having a hard time consuming roughly 1lb of oily fish weekly, I recommend supplementing with a high-quality fish oil. This will help keep your omega 3 levels in check.
Garlic & Dill Salmon is nutritious and delicious! Prepare and cook this omega 3 rich fish in under 20-minutes! It's the perfect AIP, paleo & keto friendly recipe for the busy work week!
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
