This pie has all of the flavors of spaghetti night in one delicious pie-shaped serving.
I suspect that spaghetti pie was invented to use leftovers from spaghetti night. This recipe is so good that it warrants being made for its own sake.
Making Spaghetti Pie
The crust of this pie is made by adding eggs and Parmesan cheese to pre-cooked spaghetti noodles and pressing the mixture into a deep-dish pie pan. This is a great way to get the kids involved in helping with dinner. A layer of creamy ricotta cheese is spread over the noodles. And, a tomato-based meat sauce creates the filling with a layer of mozzarella cheese acting as the crust.
Here is a timesaving tip that I use for this dish – I make the meat sauce a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. When I am ready to make the dish, all I need to do is make the pasta, add the eggs and Parmesan for the crust, grab the ricotta tub and the pre-shredded mozzarella out of the fridge, assemble and bake it. The hardest part is waiting for the water to boil.
I think this makes a pretty impressive presentation out of the oven. The cheese is all bubbly and gooey; some of the spaghetti noodles have browned slightly and become a little crispy; and the meat sauce has turned this deep, rich red.
The pie makes 8 generous servings so make sure you invite a couple of friends over for this fun variation on spaghetti night. When we are all sitting at the table, I sprinkle the pie with a little Parmesan and pass chili flakes for people who like a little extra spice. The spaghetti pie is great on its own, or you can serve a nice fresh green salad as a side.
I really hope that you make this one of your weeknight traditions. – Christine :)
PrintSpaghetti Pie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This pie has all of the flavors of spaghetti night in one delicious pie-shaped serving.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 8 oz. cooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1 lb. ground beef (can substitute turkey or chicken)
- 2 and 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss gently to coat the noodles.
- In a medium bowl, stir ricotta cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Press spaghetti mixture into a greased 9-inch, deep-dish pie pan making sure to press up the sides to form the crust. Spread ricotta cheese mixture over the bottom of the crust.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add the onion and carrots. Cook until onion is translucent. Add ground beef and cook through, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Spread the turkey mixture over the spaghetti crust and top with mozzarella.
- Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. Cheese will be bubbly and will just be starting to brown.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes, garnish with parsley, and cut into 8 wedges.