Chef Mark's Spaghetti Pie

Chef Mark Pollard’s Tasty Baked Spaghetti

Serves 4 to 6

Can you believe that as much as I love pasta, I have never made a spaghetti pie?  Well, one of my favorite chefs, Mark Pollard, recently made this and posted the recipe.  Thank you Mark!  I made it for dinner and it is superb!  I made it in a deep dish pie plate and cut it into wedges to serve.  You can make this with ground beef or ground turkey; both are delicious.  Along with Italian bread and a leafy green salad topped with fresh tomatoes, it was the perfect dinner!  

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, ½ cup cooking water reserved

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or pressed

1 pound ground turkey or sirloin

1 cup tomato paste, divided

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, grated and divided

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup basil leaves, chiffonade

DIRECTIONS: 

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

·         In a large skillet over medium high heat, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the ground turkey or beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.  Add 3/4 cup of the tomato paste and about half the pasta water.  Cook until well combined, about 2 minutes.  Consistency should be thick, so add the rest of the pasta water only if needed.  Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Set aside.

·         In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked spaghetti, eggs, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and the remaining tomato paste. Stir until combined.

·         Grease a deep dish 9-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half of the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan.  Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it.  Top with the remaining meat mixture, then some of the basil leaves, followed by the remaining cheese.  Place in the oven and cook until browned and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.  Remove and let sit about 10-15 minutes before cutting it.  Serve with a nice green salad if desired.

Note:  This can be made the day before, refrigerated, and then baked as directed the following day.