Description
Spaghetti Pie is a hearty and comforting baked pasta dish featuring a savory meat sauce layered with a creamy cheese mixture and topped with melted mozzarella. Perfectly seasoned spaghetti forms a flavorful crust, creating a delicious and satisfying meal ideal for family dinners or special gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Layer
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Spaghetti Crust
- ½ lb spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 24 oz marinara sauce
Cheese Topping
- 1 ½ cups shredded low moisture whole milk mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare cheese mixture: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, salt, dried basil, parsley, oregano, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Preheat oven and prep ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Measure and have all other ingredients ready.
- Boil spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.
- Cook meat sauce: Season ground beef with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the beef and diced onion. Cook, breaking up the meat, for 7-10 minutes until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease.
- Add flavors to sauce: Reduce heat to medium. Stir in minced garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Simmer meat sauce: Add marinara sauce to the skillet, stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered while cooking pasta al dente.
- Cook spaghetti: Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving warm pasta in the pot.
- Combine spaghetti crust: Return spaghetti to warm pot. Add butter and grated Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat evenly. Then add whisked eggs and toss gently to combine.
- Mix spaghetti and sauce: Stir 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce into the spaghetti thoroughly. Remove from heat.
- Assemble pie: Lightly grease a deep 9 or 10-inch pie pan or 2 to 2 ½ quart baking dish. Press the spaghetti mixture firmly into the pan to form a packed crust layer.
- Add cheese layer and sauce: Spread the ricotta and cream cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti crust. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the cheese layer and spread evenly. The pan will be very full.
- Top with mozzarella: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and hot. Optionally, broil at 450°F for a few minutes to achieve a golden brown top. Watch carefully during broiling.
- Rest before serving: Remove from oven and let the pie sit for 10-15 minutes to set before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor, mix ground beef with Italian sausage in the meat sauce.
- Use high-quality marinara sauce such as Rao’s or Carbone for best taste.
- Choose low moisture, whole milk mozzarella like Galbani or Dragone for optimal melting.
- Grate Parmesan fresh from a block for superior flavor.
- Philadelphia cream cheese from a tub melts better than block cream cheese.
- Frank’s Hot Sauce adds depth of flavor without spiciness.
- This dish can be assembled ahead, refrigerated up to 24 hours or frozen up to 3 months. Thaw fully and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
- If baking covered with foil, spray the foil side facing the cheese with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Store leftovers in airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Use less pasta if freezing to avoid over-absorption of sauce.
- Try pairing this recipe with Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
