Tags
dinner, food, Italian sausage, mozzarella, oregano, recipe, spaghetti, spaghetti pie
I’ve been thinking a lot about fall, my family and dare I even mention it…the holidays?
There are 89 days until Christmas. Yes, I counted them using this.
And, while that sounds so far away (it’s September after all), doesn’t it always seem to sneak up on us so quickly?
Deep breadths.
In the meantime, I’m just concentrating on staying more organized this fall which in turn, should lead me to being more organized as we approach Christmastime.
Fingers crossed.
Have you set out your pumpkins, mums and scarecrows yet?
With the weather cooling off in North Carolina, I plan to get creative with some fall planting and decorating on the front porch. If it it turns out share-worthy, I’ll post some pics next week.
In between shuttling your children to football practice, piano lessons and deciding on Halloween costumes, do you think you could sneak in some time to prepare this rustic spaghetti pie with fresh oregano?
And, just so we are on the same page…when I use the term “rustic,” it usually means things are a little free-form.
If you go to your pantry and you have a nearly full box of spaghetti you’re almost half-way done.
It’s simple, really.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmagiano Reggiano cheese. Next, add 2 tbsp of melted unsalted butter and 2 lightly beaten eggs. Stir until combined and then add 8 ounces of cooked, drained spaghetti. This spaghetti-cheese mixture will form the first layer of your pie.
This recipe calls for making your own meat sauce. To do that you’ll combine 3/4 lb of lean ground beef with 2 sweet Italian sausages (removed from casings), a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and 3 tbsp of tomato paste. Fresh, minced garlic and seasonings are added to make this simple meat sauce.
After your spaghetti pie has baked for 30 minutes, you’ll add slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and then back into the oven it goes to melt that cheese.
I added some fresh oregano leaves after I removed the casserole dish from the oven, but that is entirely optional. My spaghetti pie took closer to 30 minutes in the oven since I was using a deep casserole dish.
Doesn’t this just feel like something you’d serve your little ones after a 2 or 3 hour football practice?
Rustic Spaghetti Pie with Fresh Oregano
Ingredients
3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 pork Italian sausages, removed from casings (I used sweet, but the spicy sausage would work too)
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste (from tube)
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained well
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmagiano Reggiano cheese
6-8 slices fresh mozzarella
Sprigs of fresh oregano to garnish (optional)
Method
In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef, sausage and minced garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and is cooked through; drain. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, eggs, Parmagiano Reggiano, ricotta cheese with the cooked spaghetti. Coat a casserole dish lightly with cooking spray. Begin layering the spaghetti-cheese mixture then the meat sauce. There should be two layers (ending with meat sauce).
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish each serving with fresh oregano, if desired.
Yield: 6-8 servings
wow that looks amazing!!!!!!
Thank you so much! We had some leftovers, which both my husband and I enjoyed the next day for lunch.
Enjoy your day!
Allison
I sometimes make something similar to this which has chicken on top of the spaghetti. I know I’m gonna love this recipe!
Unless someone has tasted spaghetti that’s been baked in the oven so the flavor of the sauce soaks into the pasta, they just can’t imagine how delicious it is !!
Looks really good! We will get our pumpkins in another week or so. It just seems like I was posting a blog with pictures of the pumpkins we got last year. Where did that time go? The leaves should be turning color soon – cannot wait!
Gosh, that’s exactly how I feel, Bernice. Where does the time go? Every time I sit down and think about setting up my blog schedule, that time needs to be devoted to something else. I’ll have to get better at time management or is it saying “no” more often (probably a combo of the two).
I’ll have to check on your site to see if you’ve shared any photos of fall color and the leaves changing. Still too early here.
Our leaves are starting to change here. Hopefully in a week or so there will be more color. Time management is crucial. I carry my iPad pretty much everywhere I go. I have an attached keyboard since I prefer a real keyboard for typing. I also write for a couple of testing magazines so I always have a few things going on at the same time.
I know, can you believe we’re approaching October almost? Where did 2013 go? And even though it’s 89 days away, it really does sneak up on you. Being organized is a great way to approach the holiday, and this baked pasta dish is calling my name… Happy Friday Allison! 🙂
Yes, you’re right Anne…where does the time go?! I’m trying to use my free time wisely as we approach the holidays. I think less time playing on my phone and late night internet surfing will help.
Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
Allison
Now I’m really hungry! It’s a relatively easy way to good eating. Great job!
That’s a great way to put it!
I use “rustic” pretty much in the same way. This looks like a really good idea!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one (wink)!
Allison
This looks delishhhhh!
Thank you so much, Andrea!
And, thank you for stopping by to leave a comment. That’s very kind of you.
Allison
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