Last night the weather was mild enough to open the windows and put on a sweater. There were football games on TV all day and night and, even if none of our teams won, it felt like time for some cool weather comfort food. We are so ready for fall. I suggested my favorite chicken casserole and my guys both looked so disappointed – I realized it was time for beef.
There are a million options but what could be more fun than Spaghetti Pie? It’s fun to make, fun to eat, it’s even fun to say. Another plus is that it’s very easy to put together. You could even make this in the morning and bake it for company in the evening. Spaghetti Pie starts with cooked pasta, leftover is fine. Mix in cheese, butter, and eggs and press the whole thing into a pie pan. The meat sauce is a matter of choice- you could use ground turkey instead of beef or even make a vegetarian tomato sauce, but in my house that would get you sad faces and maybe too many leftovers. This recipe has three kinds of cheese so it’s very luscious, but I sneaked in some lighter versions and we were none the worse for it. This is a busy week for us and I secretly hoped we would have enough left for a second dinner. The last picture shows what still remained in the pie pan after dinner, though sadly it didn’t make it through the night. Apparently that last piece became a midnight snack. That’s a pretty good endorsement! Make this one soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
8 oz spaghetti
3 Tbsp butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
½ onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz can tomato paste
¼ cup red wine (you can substitute water)
1 tsp oregano
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain.
Mix hot spaghetti with butter, Parmesan cheese and eggs.
Press into a pie pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover with cottage cheese
Heat oil in a large pot or skillet over medium high heat.
Add beef and brown.
Add onion, pepper, and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, oregano, salt and sugar. Let simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes for flavors to blend. It will be a bit thicker than traditional spaghetti sauce.
Pour sauce over pasta crust and cover with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly.
Serve immediately to rave reviews!
