Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Spaghetti Pie Casserole
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Relive your childhood with this old fashioned Spaghetti Pie Casserole. A great way to use up leftover spaghetti or beef sauce.
I love sharing recipes that I remember from my childhood (like the much loved cinnamon thing and chicken spaghetti). One of the dinner recipes we often ate was this Spaghetti Pie Casserole.
Since I love all things lasagna, when this dinner idea popped into my mind, I knew I needed to make it and share the recipe with you.
Why you’ll love spaghetti pie casserole:
- This spaghetti pie recipe is traditional, old fashioned comfort food!
- Can use up leftover spaghetti noodles or meat sauce.
- Make ahead instructions for a freezer meal.
- The pasta, cheese, meat sauce flavor combination you know and love.
How to Make Spaghetti Pie Casserole
This recipe has several steps, but if you get all of the parts going at once, it won’t take too long for prepping the casserole.
To prepare, spray a 10” pie plate with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- Boil spaghetti in a large pot according to the package instructions. Drain.
- Place the spaghetti in a large bowl and add the butter. Mix until the butter is melted. Add the parmesan cheese and beaten eggs. Mix well.
- Form the spaghetti mixture into a “crust” in the prepared pie plate. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage and onions until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Keep over medium low heat and cook until heated through. Stir several times during cooking
- Spread the cottage cheese evenly over the spaghetti crust. Fill the pie with the spaghetti sauce.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake again for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. The layers will slice easily once they’ve cooled just a bit.
Recipe Variations
- Use all ground beef or all Italian sausage if you’d like. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey in the spaghetti pie casserole.
- For low-carb use spaghetti squash. You’ll have to cook the spaghetti squash first. Then shred it. I recommend squeezing the spaghetti squash or pressing with paper towels to get rid of any excess juice. Continue with the recipe as it is written.
- Instead of a red sauce in the spaghetti pie casserole, try white alfredo sauce.
- Top this baked spaghetti pie recipe with pepperoni for pizza style.
- Add veggies to the meat sauce. I recommend zucchini, peppers or grated carrot.
- Instead of cottage cheese, you might like ricotta cheese. Use the same amount.
Can you freeze spaghetti pie casserole?
Yes. Freeze any leftovers you have, but you can also prep this spaghetti pie casserole and freeze as a make ahead meal. After you’ve prepared the casserole, wrap it in plastic wrap and then again in foil. Freeze for up to two months.
When you are ready to serve the casserole, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake as the recipe suggests.
What to Serve with Spaghetti Pie
This spaghetti casserole recipe is perfect served with:
Other Recipes to Love
Spaghetti Pie Casserole
Relive your childhood with this old fashioned Spaghetti Pie Casserole. A great way to use up leftover spaghetti or beef sauce.
Servings 8
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Ingredients
For the “crust”:
- 6 ounces spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs well beaten
For the sauce:
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 14.5 ounces ounces petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
To assemble:
- 1 cup whole milk small curd cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Spray a 10” pie plate with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- Cook spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain. 6 ounces spaghetti
- Place the spaghetti in a bowl and add the butter. Mix until the butter is melted. Add the parmesan cheese and beaten eggs. Mix well. 2 tablespoons salted butter, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 large eggs
- Form the spaghetti mixture into a “crust” in the prepared pie plate. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage and onions until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Drain off any excess fat. ½ pound ground beef, ½ pound Italian sausage, ¼ cup finely diced onion
- Add the garlic, tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Keep over medium low heat and cook until heated through. 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 14.5 ounces ounces petite diced tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon crushed oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- Spread the cottage cheese evenly over the spaghetti crust. Fill the pie with the meat sauce. 1 cup whole milk small curd cottage cheese
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake again for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- If you’d like it browned on top, place it under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, watching it closely so that the cheese doesn’t burn.
Notes
- To measure 6 ounces of pasta: Hold dry spaghetti noodles in your hand in a bunch. If you wrap a tape measure around the circumference, 6 ounces should be about 3 ½ inches.
- I used an Emile Henry Pie Plate: 9″ x 9″ x 2.2″. It holds 1.5 quarts
- My mom’s original recipe called for ¼ cup chopped green pepper to be cooked along with the meat and onion. You can add this in if your family would like it.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 930mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 775IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 3mg
I’m confused about when to put the mozzarella. The instructions say to layer the mozzarella, then bake 20 minutes Then it says to remove, sprinkle the mozzarella and bake for another 5-10 minutes until it’s melted. So does the mozzarella go on twice?
Could you leave the cottage cheese and or ricotta completely out?