When it comes to preparing weeknight dinners, I go from one extreme to the other. Either I have everything perfectly planned out—a meal in the slow cooker and veggies prepped by noon—or I’m staring into the fridge at 6 o’clock and wondering what I’m going to make out of a dozen eggs and a head of lettuce.
When the latter scenario occurs, I often turn to pasta, which is
exactly why I keep plenty of meatballs in the freezer and a container of
pesto in the fridge. As much as my family appreciates a good pasta
meal, there are times when their enthusiasm is decidedly muted. “Oh, pasta again. Sounds great, Mum.” (Cue fake smiles.)
I’ve learned over the years that the key to my family continuing to
love pasta, besides the obvious solution of eating it less often, is
changing up how I serve it. Different sauces, meats and veggies often do
the trick, but I also like to vary whether the pasta is served the
usual way (boiled then tossed in a skillet with the other ingredients)
or baked in a casserole form.
This spaghetti pie is somewhere in between, and is a novel way to
change up the usual spaghetti and meat sauce fare that graces so many
tables each night. If you have spaghetti left over from a previous
dinner, feel free to use it in this dish. This recipe is very forgiving
and allows for plenty of variation.
The first step is cooking the pasta, then tossing it with a mixture
of eggs and Parmesan cheese. Briefly rinse the pasta in cold water when
you drain it so you don’t inadvertently cook the eggs by tossing them
with hot pasta. Pile the spaghetti in a pie dish, pushing the noodles up
the side of the dish to form something that resembles a crust.
Next, cook ground turkey with some onions, carrots, garlic and
spices, and mix it with crushed tomatoes before layering it on top of
the spaghetti. Sprinkle some mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over top
and bake.
Serve this spaghetti pie with a green salad for a healthy pasta meal that is a little different from the norm.
Recipe
Spaghetti Pie
- Prep Time:
- 15 Minutes
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Cook Time:
- 35 Minutes
- Servings:
- 8 Servings
- 8 ounces, weight Spaghetti, Regular Or Whole Wheat
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, Divided
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Turkey
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 2 Medium Carrots, Cut Into 1/2-inch Circles
- 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 3/4 teaspoons Ground Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (or More To Taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 2-1/2 cups Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
- 1/3 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and briefly rinse with cold water.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Add spaghetti and toss to coat the noodles.
Transfer the spaghetti to the prepared pie dish and arrange the noodles on the bottom and up the side of the dish to form a crust.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion and carrots, and cook until turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
Add crushed tomatoes and parsley, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the turkey mixture to the pie dish and spread it over top, leaving some of the spaghetti around the edges uncovered. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into 8 wedges. Serve.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and briefly rinse with cold water.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Add spaghetti and toss to coat the noodles.
Transfer the spaghetti to the prepared pie dish and arrange the noodles on the bottom and up the side of the dish to form a crust.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion and carrots, and cook until turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
Add crushed tomatoes and parsley, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the turkey mixture to the pie dish and spread it over top, leaving some of the spaghetti around the edges uncovered. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into 8 wedges. Serve.
