Description
This Spaghetti Pie recipe layers tender spaghetti mixed with a savory meat sauce and creamy ricotta and cream cheese mixture, topped with melted mozzarella for a comforting Italian-inspired casserole that's perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Layer
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Spaghetti Crust
- ½ lb. spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
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 mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Layer: Combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, salt, dried basil, parsley, oregano, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.
- Preheat Oven and Boil Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350°F. 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 and add the beef and diced onions. Cook, breaking up the meat, for 7-10 minutes until browned. Drain excess grease. Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce and simmer uncovered on low heat while spaghetti cooks.
- Cook Spaghetti and Mix: Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add butter and parmesan cheese, tossing to coat the pasta evenly. Add the whisked eggs and toss quickly to combine thoroughly.
- Combine Spaghetti and Meat Sauce: Stir 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce into the spaghetti mixture until fully combined. Remove from heat.
- Assemble Pie: Lightly grease a deep 9 or 10-inch pie pan or 2-2 ½ quart baking dish. Press the spaghetti and meat sauce mixture firmly into the bottom to create a packed layer. Spread the ricotta and cream cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti layer. Spoon the remaining meat sauce on top.
- Add Cheese Topping and Bake: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the meat sauce. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and hot. Optionally, broil at 450°F for a few minutes to brown the top, watching carefully.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Meat: For extra flavor, use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage.
- Marinara Sauce: High-quality marinara such as Rao’s or Carbone will enhance the flavor significantly.
- Mozzarella: Use low moisture, whole milk mozzarella for the best melting texture.
- Parmesan: Freshly grate Parmesan from a block for optimal flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Tub-style cream cheese like Philadelphia melts better than block cream cheese.
- Hot Sauce: Adds a subtle flavor enhancement without spiciness; Frank’s Hot Sauce is recommended.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble but do not bake. Cool completely, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw fully before baking, then bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Storage: Store leftovers in airtight container; refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. For freezing, consider reducing pasta slightly to prevent sauce absorption.
- To prevent cheese from sticking to foil when covering, spray foil with nonstick cooking spray facing the cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of pie)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
