Baked Spaghetti Pie

Is there anything more comforting and homey than pasta, especially when it’s baking and the smell permeates your home? I think not.

The ingredients for this recipe are 6 ounces spaghetti, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion, ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper, 12 ounces chicken sausage, 1 garlic clove, 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 6 ounce can tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 cup cottage cheese, and ½ cup grated mozzarella.

I put the spaghetti in boiling water, and let it cook until a little undercooked. This took me 7 minutes. While the pasta was cooking, I cooked the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, and chicken sausage in a large saucepan until the onions were translucent and soft.

I added the diced tomatoes with all the tomato juices, tomato puree, salt, oregano and basil to the saucepan.

I stirred and let all the ingredients heat up.

About this time, my spaghetti was done cooking. While the spaghetti drained, I added the Parmesan cheese, butter, and eggs to a bowl.

I added the pasta and stirred.

I layered the pasta into a greased pie pan. The spaghetti is the crust of the pie.

I evenly distributed the cottage cheese on top of the pasta.

I poured the tomato sauce mixture over the cottage cheese layer. It looks like a ton of sauce, but I was pleased with the amount in the final baked pie. I think it cooks down a little, and there is a fair amount of pasta underneath.

I baked the pie at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. I sprinkled the mozzarella cheese on top and baked the pie for an additional 5 minutes.

I let the pie set a bit before cutting in, but it could have used a little more time to set. The first slice was pretty soft. After it set more, the slices stuck together well.

This was first-rate. The spices and flavors in the sauce were savory and appetizing.

I enjoyed the creamy, cheesy pasta layer too. It’s a mix between spaghetti and lasagna, but it is much more convenient than lasagna.