The Ultimate Spaghetti Pie Recipe

Tonight, Dave and I needed food that would stick to our ribs; food that oozed comfort. Okay, we really needed food that would make us feel better after a night of indulging on too much greek wine! We went to Toronto with our dear friends Christa and Tom to attend one of Chef Peter Minaki's exclusive Greek Supper Club dinners. Peter is a renowned chef and cookbook author in Toronto who specializes in greek cooking. The dinner was spectacular and each course was paired with a greek wine. We weren't served measly little tastings either, these were very generous pours, thank you for that! We had so much fun and so many great laughs. We aren't 20 years old anymore, so bouncing back from a heavy night of drinking isn't as easy anymore. Needless to say, we were in desperate need of stick to your ribs comfort food, cozy clothes and a night of TV marathoning. And spaghetti pie was the perfect choice to cure our queazy stomachs!

When I first started dating Dave he introduced me to spaghetti pie. His mom made it while he was growing up and he still loves it to this day. Being 100% italian, sicilian to be precise, I had never heard of spaghetti pie before. It sounded a bit odd to me but when Dave described the recipe I figured I'd give it a try. I am so happy I did because this classic american dish has became a staple in our house. I'm sure the boys will insist their wives make this recipe too. The recipe I use is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 1970's version.

It's called spaghetti pie because it's made in a pie dish.  The crust is made with spaghetti that is tossed with eggs, butter, and parmesan cheese…similar to carbonara. The spaghetti is molded and formed into this thick buttery crust that is so delicious I could eat it just like that. After the spaghetti crust is made, layers of cheese, tomato sauce, cheese, ground beef and yes, more cheese are added. It's baked in the oven until all of the layers of ingredients meld together into this rich heavenly pie. After it's baked in the oven and has had a few minutes to set, it's sliced into a wedge just like a piece of pie. Your mouth will sing every bite you take because the flavors are so incredibly tasty. The ooey-gooey cheese, sweet tomato sauce and savory ground beef are all piled onto a bed of buttery spaghetti goodness. Dave and I, and our stomachs were so happy to be eating a huge slice of this delicious spaghetti pie.

What I love most about this dish is that, well it tastes delicious, but that it's a dish that tastes better the second day you eat it. I made two pies knowing that we would crave leftovers. I figured heck, if Im going through the process of making one pie I may as well make two. Spaghetti pie two days in a row equals me scoring lots of points with my family. So go ahead, double the recipe and make two! Plus, it freezes well too…so if you make two but can't have it the next day just place whole pie in a large freezer baggie and freeze it. This is also a great make ahead dish so you can just pop it on the oven on a busy weeknight.

S whether you are in the mood for comfort food or are looking for a meal to help an unsettled stomach (due to an over indulgence on greek wine) this recipe is for you. Salute to Better Homes and Garden's ultimate Spaghetti Pie recipe!

The Ultimate Spaghetti Pie Recipe

Look at the layers of spaghetti, cheese, sauce and beef

The cheese gets ooey-gooey and bubbly

The spaghetti crust - add egg, butter and park cheese

All of the layers of the pie are added 

Double the recipe like I did, double the goodness! 

Your family will love this dish

Look at the thick and buttery spaghetti crust

Toasting our greek wines at Chef Peter Minaki's Greek Supper Club Dinner. 

Spaghetti Pie (Click to print recipe)

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Preparation and cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces spaghetti
• 1 tb butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces of ground beef, sausage or turkey
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup finely diced green pepper (I omitted)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
2. Return spaghetti to warm saucepan. Stir butter into hot pasta until melted. Stir in egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook ground beef, (onion, sweet pepper - optional) and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano; heat through.
4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray, I used butter. Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate, forming a crust. Spreadcottage cheese on the top and up the sides of pasta crust. Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. To serve, cut into wedges.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "This kind of spaghetti is so cool and really yummy too. I don't really like the crispy spaghetti." The crispy edges are my favorite part Nate!!!

Tyler: "It kinds looks like a pizza. I like all of the layers. Super good."

Zachary: "I want seconds."

Dave: "Just like I remembered…delicious comfort food. Perfect meal tonight!"

Andrea: This recipe takes some extra time to prepare but its well worth it. It's a hearty dish with layers of flavor. This is a crowd pleaser and you'll find yourself making this often.