Spaghetti you can pick up in your hand.
Twelve ounces of cooked spaghetti tossed with two beaten eggs and half a cup of parmesan, then pressed into the dish as a crust. Meat sauce over that, mozzarella on top, 350F for twenty-five minutes.
Then it has to sit ten minutes before anybody cuts it. That rest is the only reason the slices hold their shape instead of sliding back into regular spaghetti on the plate.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 6. Plan on 8 minutes to finish (plus earlier baking).
- 12 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2.5 cups marinara sauce
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- cooking spray
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 350F and spray a 9x13 dish or two pie plates.
- Toss the warm spaghetti with the beaten eggs and parmesan, then press it into the dish to form a crust.
- Brown the beef in oil over medium-high for 6 minutes, then stir in the marinara.
- Spread the meat sauce over the spaghetti crust and top with mozzarella.
- Bake 25 minutes until bubbly, then cool 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
Do the Slow Part Early
Bake the whole pie earlier so dinner is just a slice and a reheat.
- Cook the pasta and build the pie in the afternoon
- Brown the beef and make the sauce ahead
- Bake it, cool it, and chill it before you leave for practice
Store and Reheat
Slices reheat well; cover them so the pasta stays tender and the top does not toughen.
- Microwave a slice 90 seconds to 2 minutes, covered
- Or reheat in the oven at 350F for 12 minutes under foil
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Serve with: garlic bread, green salad, roasted broccoli
Parent Tip
Letting it rest 10 minutes is what makes the slices hold their shape.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Two pie plates
Bake it as two rounds and freeze one whole for a night in November.
Cut it cold
Chilled pie slices clean; warm pie tears and you lose the crusted edge.
Ninety seconds, covered
One slice in the microwave under a lid, or twelve minutes at 350F under foil.
Pepperoni over the mozzarella
Twenty slices and it becomes pizza as far as anyone at the table is concerned.
Better on the second day
It holds four days chilled and the slices honestly cut cleaner on day two.
Plan the next step
Bake ahead for busy weeks
Use the planner to schedule make-ahead bakes like this for the nights you want to just reheat and sit down.