Spaghetti Pie

A few months ago, I did a guest post for my blogging friend, Estela.  I'm always inspired by her posts because she's a Registered Dietician and she knows her stuff.  Estela combines healthy meals with fun, kid-friendly presentations and beautiful photos.  What's not to love?

She re-posted this recipe on Facebook last night, and I literally jumped up from my chair to begin making it for dinner.  That "phenomenon" is every food blogger/cookbook author's goal:  to get us off of our bottoms and into the kitchen.  It worked, Estela! 

This was wonderfully simple to prepare and the kids loved it (so did I).

Please click over to Estela's website (The Weekly Bite).  She has many wonderful recipes and ideas!   

(You can see by the lack of photos that I didn't plan to blog about this at first...)

The summed-up version of the recipe:  

Boil about 7 ounces of pasta.  

Let it cool and mix it with olive oil, beaten eggs, and Parmesan cheese.

Form the spaghetti into a "crust".  

I decided to add a little sauteed kale to my spaghetti pie.

Top veggie layer (if using) with ricotta cheese mixture.

And top the ricotta layer with marinara sauce (with meat, if using), 

and mozzarella cheese.

 Bake for 30 minutes and then let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Please look here to see Estela's wonderful photos and directions.

(Here's the printable recipe.) 

Estela's Spaghetti Pie
Serves 6

7 ounces spaghetti (I like Barilla Plus)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
16 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray deep pie dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Boil spaghetti for no more than 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti, coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.

While the spaghetti’s cooling, mix the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Set aside. 

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon olive oil to medium heat, saute chopped onions for a few minutes until tender. 

Add ground turkey and garlic powder. Cook until turkey is browned. Add jar of marinara sauce to meat. Add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

Whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Toss egg mixture into cooled pasta. Pour pasta into pie dish and form a pie crust shape with the pasta. Spread ricotta cheese mixture over pasta. Pour meat sauce over cheese mixture. Top with mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and let set for about 15 minutes.

Recipe from:  The Weekly Bite