Make Carmine Club Café's Spaghetti Squash with Bonito Flakes and Chili, Like Chef Joe Vigorito

Spaghetti Squash With Bonito Flakes and Chili

"One of my favorite dishes to eat is spaghetti aglio e olio, and this spaghetti squash side is a riff on the Italian classic," says Vigorito. "I saw some beautiful spaghetti squash in the farmers' market a few weeks back and figured, Why not re-create the dish but with earthy, sweet spaghetti squash in place of regular spaghetti? It's my playful version of spaghetti aglio e olio. I wanted to add that umami flavor to the dish, and so instead of using anchovies so typical in Mediterranean cuisine, I went with salty, smoky bonito flakes. The sweetness of the spaghetti squash offers a contrast to the smoky, salty bonito, and the dish is accented with spicy chili flakes."

Spaghetti Squash With Bonito Flakes and Chili

Yield: approximately 1 pint

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, halved
3 leaves sage
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoons bonito flakes, plus additional for garnish
Maldon sea salt, to taste

Place the spaghetti squash on a roasting pan, cut side up. Cover the inside of the squash with butter. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Tear sage leaves, and sprinkle over the squash. In an oven heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until pierced easily with a knife. Let cool. Remove the seeds and flake out the squash with a fork.

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic until golden brown. Add the chili flakes and bonito flakes until dissolved. Add the squash, and sauté until heated through. Garnish with additional bonito flakes and sea salt, and serve.

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