Spaghetti Squash alla Romana with Asparagus

5 from 8 votes

Spaghetti squash that is tossed to resemble the classic Roman dish Cacio e Pepe. It is tossed with asparagus that is cut on the diagonal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: light lunch or dinner, vegetable side

Cuisine: American-Italian

Servings:

Calories: 812kcal

1 medium to large spaghetti squash
1 lb asparagus cleaned, lower ends snipped and the woody white part peeled with vegetable peeler then cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces
2 Leeks - green trimmed off and the white stalk split in half and washed. Thinly slice
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoon olive oil more for drizzling on squash before roasting.
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth or a little more if needed
¾ cup finely grated Grana Padano or Parmesan **
⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino

Get Recipe Ingredients

Preheat oven to 375 F, line a baking sheet with parchment, cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Drizzle olive oil inside of each half and season well with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on the parchment and cook until a knife goes through easily. Around 30 to 40 minutes. Be sure not to overcook.
Let squash cool completely then shred with a fork into long strands. Place the strands on paper towels for a few minutes to get some of the moisture out.
After the squash has cooled, start on the vegetables. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons olive oil into a sautè pan and add the diagonally cut asparagus and sliced leeks. Stir the vegetables so that the olive oil coats them and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. The broth should evaporate and the vegetables should be cooked but the asparagus should still be firm.
Remove the vegetables -- keep them warm but not cooking.
In the same sauté pan melt the butter and add the rest of the olive oil, toss in the spaghetti squash and mix in the ¾ cup finely grated Grana Padano or Parmesan. Toss gently until the cheese starts to melt. Add freshly ground coarse black pepper. If it seems to need a little bit more moisture add some chicken broth.
Place on a platter, arrange the asparagus/leek mixture on top of the spaghetti squash. Sprinkle the grated pecorino cheese on top of the dish and serve immediately. See Notes.

** Grana Padano is a hard, slow-ripened semi-fat cheese from the Po valley of Northern Italy. It is comparable to Parmigiano Reggiano but slightly sweeter. It has a granular texture.
If you like, use the spaghetti squash shell as the serving dish for a ripieni effect.