You know what food is pretty much universally loved? Spaghetti. You know what everyone loves to receive when going through a major life event — a new baby, moving into a new house, recuperating from surgery? A homemade meal. Especially when it’s spaghetti, I find. That’s where this Friendship Spaghetti Pie comes in handy. This recipe makes two pies, so you can keep one and gift the other, or gift both (it freezes very well!), and it’s so delicious that it’s always well received. A layered dish with spaghetti, ricotta, meat sauce, and mozzarella, it makes for a crave-worthy anytime dinner or the perfect meal to take to a friend.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb dry spaghetti
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 (32 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 9-inch pie pans (aluminium)
PREPARATION
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and stir in butter. Set aside.
- While spaghetti cooks, brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is cooked through. Drain fat, if needed.
- Stir in marinara sauce and remove from heat.
- Stir beaten eggs and parmesan cheese into drained spaghetti, season with salt.
- Divide spaghetti mixture evenly between two pie pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, garlic, and dried basil, along with a pinch of salt. Dollop mixture over the spaghetti in the pie pans, then smooth out evenly.
- Top each pie pan with half of the meat sauce, followed by half of the mozzarella.
- If freezing, cover pie pan with plastic wrap then foil, and freeze until solid.
- If ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°, then bake until bubbly and cheese has melted, about 25 minutes. If frozen, increase baking time to 45 minutes.
