Evidently, today is National Spaghetti Day. Who knew? So in honor of this memorable day, I’m posting an old family favorite, Spaghetti Pie . This creative take on how to use pasta to entice kids to eat reminds me of lasagna, but less layers, My boys loved this version years ago and now that they are grown, it’s being shared with the younger generation.
To prep, mix he egg and cottage cheese in one dish. In the other, beat an egg then add the Parmesan and melted butter.
Cook 4 ounces of spaghetti, about a quarter of a 1 pound package, to the al dente stage. In a 9 inch pie pan that has been brushed with olive oil, mix the spaghetti with the egg/Parmesan mixture and toss until evenly distributed. Spread out pasta evenly and up the sides of the pan.
Next, add the cottage cheese/egg mixture and spread evenly.
Then, add the sauce of your choosing to the 1/2 pound of cooked meat which has been crumbled and drained of fat. Turkey was the meat of choice for this dish, but you could easily use Italian sausage, ground beef or even the plant-based version of beef. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the shredded mozzarella cheese. Cook for another 5-8 minutes. The cheese should be melted and it should appear set.
A sprinkle of basil, oregano or Italian seasoning may be added here or you could even add it to the cheese mixture before layering it in.
Allow it to rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. This is great for a kid’s dinner or as a light lunch with a salad on the side! You could even double the recipe and place it in a 13″x 9″x 2″ pan. That will be my next version. If there are any leftovers, just refrigerate it and take a slice to work the next day to warm up.
Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
- 4 oz spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 c Parmesan cheese
- 1 T butter, melted
- 1 c low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
- 1/2 pound ground turkey, beef or Italian sausage, cooked crumbled and drained of fat
- 1/2 c chopped onion(optional)
- 1/4 c finely chopped green pepper(optional)
- 3/4 c pasta sauce~ I used Marinara
- 1/2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
- dried basil, oregano
Instructions
- Mix the cottage cheese with one of the eggs in a small bowl.
- Mix the other egg in another bowl then whisk in the Parmesan cheese and melted butter. Set aside.
- Cook the beef, turkey or Italian sausage along with the onions and green peppers, if using, until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the meat mixture.
- Return meat mixture to the pan. Blend with the sauce until warmed up.
- Cook spaghetti to the al dente stage and drain. In the pie pan that has been brushed with olive oil, add the warm spaghetti and the Parmesan/ egg mixture. Mix to thoroughly combine with a fork. Spread across the bottom and up the sides of the pan as evenly as possible.
- Spread the cottage cheese/egg mixture on top of the "crust".
- Next, spread the meat sauce over the cheese mixture. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and spread the mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until cheese has melted and pie is set. Sprinkle dried basil and/or oregano on top.
- Allow pie to cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers.
- Microwave leftovers for a quick snack!
