What's not to love about this pie? It's pure luxury to eat. The cooked spaghetti is tossed with parmesan or pecorino-romano, whichever you prefer, and shaped into the crust. Honestly I could eat the spaghetti without going any further. The crust is topped with ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella and then baked. What emerges from the oven is nothing short of divine. Each bite gives a perfect balance of pasta, cheese and meat. The last bite is as good as the first and resisting seconds is almost impossible.
I tried to lighten this pie without compromising flavor and while it's not clocking in at anything that raises an eyebrow, it's certainly something decadent and should be added to the occasional dinner rotation. Yet it should be noted, the serving size is a generous 5 servings so you get a big slice!
Better yet, since it freezes perfectly and reheats like a dream, consider making it for your next dinner party or in advance for a weeknight meal. Kids love it, adults swoon and there are never any leftovers.
NOTES
- Grease the pan very well so that the pie comes out.
- I prepare onions and garlic and preserve in the refrigerator in oil. That's what I used in place of onion in the recipe.
- This reheats well. I warmed mine in the toaster oven covered at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
- I diced the chicken sausage but I think grinding it in the food processor would improve the texture.
- I think a little fresh basil in the sauce and then as garnish would be lovely but it's not necessary.
RECIPE
Makes 5 generous servings.
Per Serving: 481 calories / 19.7g fat / 38.1g carbs / 33.5g protein / 3.2g fiber / 7.8g sugar / 877.2 mg sodium
6 ounces uncooked thick spaghetti [I used Barilla]
1/3 cup grated pecorino romano [Use parmesan if you prefer a lighter taste]
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup 94% lean ground beef
2 sweet Italian sausage links, diced or ground in food processor
1/2 cup onion, diced
15 ounces tomato sauce [I used Hunts, no salt added]
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Avoid overcooking. It should be al dente. While spaghetti is still warm, stir in parmesan cheese, egg, and butter in a large bowl. Pour into well greased 9 inch pie plate and pat mixture up and around sides to form a crust. Spoon ricotta cheese over spaghetti crust. In a skillet, brown ground meat, sausage, and onion, then drain off fat, add the seasonings (garlic powder, sugar, salt, black pepper and oregano) to the skillet and warm them until toasted, approx. 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon meat sauce over the ricotta cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Arrange mozzarella on top and return to oven just until cheese melts.
Comments
Post a Comment