Think of this pie as a vehicle for leftovers or those stray vegetables you have in your fridge! You could add cooked mushrooms or frozen peas or leftover cooked sausage or chicken. We use spaghetti here, but any long shape of pasta will work just as well.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with olive oil.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and shake the colander to remove the excess water. Put the spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the beaten eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan, then toss.
- While the spaghetti cooks, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 1 more minute. Crumble in the beef, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes, then clear a spot in the center of the skillet and add the tomato paste. Let it toast for 30 seconds, then stir into the beef mixture. Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then bring to a simmer and cook until very thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with more salt to taste.
- To assemble the pie, transfer the spaghetti mixture to the pie plate and press to form a crust with a flat bottom and slightly higher sides. Spread the ricotta in the spaghetti crust, leaving a border around the edges. Spoon the meat sauce on top, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the bottom and sides of the pie are golden and the cheese is browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 626 |
| Total Fat | 38 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 162 mg |
| Sodium | 679 mg |
Reviews
Found this in a 2022 issue of the magazine. It is fantastic! Takes some time to prepare but so worth it. Absolutely the best new recipe for our family of 2022.
This is my first time making a spaghetti crust. I used a 10″ pie dish. I would make this crust again. It was really tasty. I cut up the spaghetti to make it easier to fit the dish like a crust. I made changes to the rest of the recipe. I used what I had on hand. Yellow squash for the zucchini. Used up an open jar of sauce.
Made meatless, put veggie chicken nuggets on top, layered slices of provolone on top. I also lowered the oven temp. As it states, you can use this recipe to use any veggies etc. I was looking for something different and saw this recipe in my current issue of FoodNetwork. I did not need to use the saved pasta water since I used the jarred. The pie cut nicely, just like pie. Thanks for the idea of making a pasta crust.
Made meatless, put veggie chicken nuggets on top, layered slices of provolone on top. I also lowered the oven temp. As it states, you can use this recipe to use any veggies etc. I was looking for something different and saw this recipe in my current issue of FoodNetwork. I did not need to use the saved pasta water since I used the jarred. The pie cut nicely, just like pie. Thanks for the idea of making a pasta crust.
This recipe was a bit tedious but delicious. I will make again. One question: The instructions tell you to save 1 cup of the pasta liquid yet it only has you use 1/2 cup of it. What about the remaining 1/2 cup?