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Easy Spaghetti Pie is a hearty, cheesy dinner that’s a fun take on the traditional Spaghetti dinner and loaded with comfort food flavor!
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Table of contents
Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Sometimes when you need a pick-me-up, only an old family recipe will do for dinner. Grandma’s Easy Spaghetti Pie fits that bill to the letter!
Spaghetti is a casserole dish that originated in Colorado in the Italian-American communities in North Denver where my husband’s Grandmother grew up. Like many famous state pies, it is savory. If you know Colorado’s dedication to our hearty, heavy, mountain-style pizzas (Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs, where you dip your 5-pound pie’s crust in honey) eat more like a pie – we’re pretty into stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods here!
I know it’s easy to get in a rut with meals, particularly if your kids are picky – but this is a fun way to take all the familiar flavors of spaghetti and serve it in a fun, unique way.
My husband’s Grandma Barb was particularly fond of making this recipe, and we took it out of her own recipe notes. Spaghetti pie tastes great year round, it’s a filling meal that’s just as good on a cold winter’s day, as it is eaten al fresco in the spring and early summer.
How To Make Spaghetti Pie
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Spaghetti – use any spaghetti or bucatini you love – but we don’t recommend angel hair or thin spaghetti, as it will get mushy as the pasta casserole bakes in our creamy, cheesy pasta sauce.
- Eggs – The eggs serve as the binder for the “crust” of our pasta casserole, adding fat, lift, and a rich flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – parmesan cheese is salty and a bit nutty, and brings a savory, addictive flavor to pasta everyone loves. Parmesan also works like a breadcrumb in this recipe – you can use gourmet grated parmesan, or parmesan from a can for this recipe.
- Butter – butter helps add a rich creamy fat to the casserole, and adds a velvety texture to the pasta.
- Onions – onions are pungent and earthy, with a bit of a “hot” flavor that help cut through the rich cream and cheese, acidic tomato sauce, and starchy pasta, lending a vegetal flavor to our baked pasta casserole.
- Ground beef – ground beef, pork, lamb, or chicken work well in this recipe – adding extra protein and meaty flavor, to make this dish a bit more hearty and filling.
- Sour cream – sour cream has a bit of a tangy bite to it while adding a rich thick creamy texture, so it’s not overpowering with our pasta and cheese.
- Italian Seasoning – Italian herbs seasoning often includes thyme, basil, garlic, marjoram, and oregano, to add a layer of vegetal, earthy flavors to our casserole and help them from being overwhelmingly rich.
- Garlic Powder – while we love raw garlic, using garlic powder, which is more concentrated, is great in this recipe so it can pack a flavorful punch and infuse every bite with tons of garlic flavor.
- Tomato Sauce – use a tomato sauce you love the flavor of – since it will make up a huge part of the base of our recipe. If you’re prone to heartburn when eating pasta, try a low acidity tomato sauce.
- Shredded Mozzarella – go for a part skim shredded mozzarella that melts well, similar to what you use on a pizza, with a neutral, milky flavor you love.
- Salt and pepper – There is no savory recipe that doesn’t benefit from salt and pepper seasoning!
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we’re going to follow this method:
- Prep. Boil pasta, brown onions and beef, make sauce.
- Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil, break spaghetti in half and cook as directed by the packaging, probably around 9-11 minutes. Strain when done.
- Beat two eggs.
- Spray the bottom of your pie pan with non-stick spray.
- Saute onions and butter together in a pan until soft and lightly browned.
- Brown the meat and drain off the excess oil. Add the seasonings, and the tomato sauce to the meat and simmer for 3-4 minutes to cook together.
- Assemble pie. In the bottom of your pie pan, mix noodles, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and beaten eggs, while the eggs are still warm and pliable. Gently press down the noodles into the pan to make the “crust”. Add the onions, and 1 cup of sour cream on top of the noodles. Add the sauce mixture on top of the onions and sour cream in the pie pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the pie. Add the last two teaspoons of parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Enjoy! Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Baked Spaghetti Pie and FAQs
You don’t have to use a pie pan. You can use any glass baking dish – round, square, or rectangular.
Larger pans, cook more pasta – If you’re using larger than a 10” pie pan, I’d recommend using half a pound of pasta, which is approximately half a box of dried pasta. Add an extra egg and additional tablespoon of parmesan cheese to the binder mixture.
This dish freezes incredibly well. Go ahead and double (or triple!) the recipe and freeze an extra pie for a later day. We’ve found that this is a great way to always have a mercy meal on hand! Just prepare as normal but cook and store in disposable aluminum baking pans.
Tastes even better the next day. Like many soups, sauces and casseroles, this often tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have some time to meld together.
FAQs
Yes! Baked Spaghetti pie often tastes even better the next day. Go ahead and cook a day or two ahead.
Substitute traditional spaghetti with rice pasta. Be sure to follow the pasta cooking directions included on the packaging. With gluten free pasta, it’s smart to keep it al dente as you’ll be cooking it longer in “pie form” and gluten free pasta gets mushy fast.
Spaghetti pie actually originated in Denver – while there are lots of baked spaghetti casseroles, the first mention of “spaghetti pie” as a dish was from North Denver neighborhoods – likely where my husband’s grandma (and my grandpa, who went to the old Manual HS!) grew up.
There is no real crust to this spaghetti casserole – the spaghetti just bakes in a pie plate to take a pie shape.
Yes, you should cook the spaghetti noodles until they are al dente (firm to the bite) before using them in the recipe. This ensures that they don’t become mushy during baking.
While spaghetti is the traditional choice, you can experiment with other pasta shapes like fettuccine, penne, or rigatoni if you prefer. However, the dish might be called something different if you deviate from spaghetti.
Yes, you can prepare spaghetti pie in advance and refrigerate it for a day or two before baking. Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When ready to bake, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
Yes, you can freeze spaghetti pie. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Label it with the date and contents. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Yes, spaghetti pie is often enjoyed by kids due to its familiar spaghetti and cheese components. You can customize it with ingredients your kids like, such as mild cheeses and vegetables, to make it even more appealing to them.
What to Serve With Spaghetti Pie
A nice fresh and light green salad goes well with this meal. Something like my Poppyseed Spinach fruit salad would be a nice addition on a summer day to lighten this up.
You can’t serve spaghetti – even in pie form – in my house without a side of fresh bread. My kids LOVE a fresh slice of bread with their pasta.
I’d recommend my Easy No Knead Bread with lots of butter.
If you want something a little more zippy, Easy Jalapeño Cheese bread is a fun side. The zesty spice from the Jalapeno goes well with the rich flavors of Grandma’s Spaghetti Pie!
For more simple salad ideas, find our salad recipes index or some of our recipes below:
Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe
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Easy Baked Spaghetti Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz of spaghetti
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 tbsp butter
- ? cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lb of ground beef or mix ½ ground beef and ½ pound of Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, oregano and basil
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil, break spaghetti in half and cook as directed by the packaging, probably around 9-11 minutes. Strain when done.
- Beat two eggs
- Spray the bottom of your pie pan with non-stick spray.
- In the bottom of your pie pan, mix noodles, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and beaten eggs, while the eggs are still warm and pliable. Gently press down the noodles into the pan to make the “crust”.
- Saute onions and butter together in a pan.
- Add the onions, and 1 cup of sour cream on top of the noodles.
- Brown the meat and drain off the excess oil. Add the seasonings, and the tomato sauce to the meat and simmer for 3-4 minutes to cook together.
- Add the sauce mixture on top of the onions and sour cream in the pie pan.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the pie. Add the last tablespoon of parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350o until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made your baked spaghetti tonight and it was so delicious!! The flavor was the best!
So glad you loved it!
We have been making this recipe for years because my mother made it while we were growing up! The only difference is that we sauté chopped (diced) green peppers with the onions. Very good!
Hi….just came across your spaghetti pie recipe on Pinterest. It calls for 1/4 + 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese….is that the correct amount? We’re eager to try your recipe. Thanks so much
Thank you for pointing out how confusing that looks, I updated the recipe card, you want to use 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in the bake and the remaining 1 tbsp is for the topping. Hope you enjoy it!
OMG! The baked spaghetti pie was awesome! I had sauce left from 2 days prior, we were going to have spaghetti again and freeze the rest. My husband suggested baked, so I looked it up on Pinterest and chose this. The only difference is, I did not have parmesan cheese, so I used cottage cheese mixed with noodles. Turned out Awesome! This is a keeper.
Thanks for the comment!