My family never grows tired of this spaghetti pie. Think classic spaghetti, reinvented into a family-pleasing baked casserole. Full credit for this family-pleasing dish goes to my mom. She made this all the time. It’s still one of her go-to meals whenever she is bringing a family dinner because you can count on the entire family to love it, no matter their age.
How to make spaghetti pie:
1. Cook spaghetti noodles.
2. Season noodles and add to pie dish. Add hot cooked noodles, butter, parmesan cheese, basil and beaten egg to a large bowl and toss well to combine. The egg and parmesan cheese help the noodles to hold their shape when you cut the pie. Press mixture firmly into pie dish.
3. Layer with cottage cheese and sauce. Spread a thin layer of cottage cheese over top (you could substitute ricotta if you like) and then top with spaghetti sauce. You could use my homemade spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce or store-bought pasta sauce. You’ll need about 1 ½ cups of sauce.
6. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. I like to sprinkle the top of the sauce with a little extra parmesan cheese.
I love how bubbly, warm and delicious it gets when it bakes. Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then slice and serve it like you would a pie.
Serve with:
- Side salad
- Roasted vegetables
- Crusty bread
- My favorite breadsticks.
Make-ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: Make the pie completely, but don’t bake it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, until ready to bake. If you want to prepare it more than 1 day in advance, I would suggest not adding the pasta sauce until right before you bake it (otherwise liquid from the sauce may pool at the bottom of the pan while it sits in the fridge for so long).
To Freeze: Cook the noodles just barely until al dente (don’t overcook). Prepare the pie completely, but don’t bake it. Cool completely, then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. (Spray the bottom layer of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray).
Bake from frozen, covered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until heated through, about another 20-30 minutes. I like to serve with extra sauce, since some of the sauce will have soaked up in the noodles over time.
Consider trying these popular dinner recipes:
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- Italian Grilled Cheese
- Gourmet Baked Mac N Cheese with Bacon
- Crispy BBQ Chicken Wraps
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Recipe
Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves , chopped
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 large egg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup cottage cheese *
- 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce , homemade or a 12 oz. jar*
Instructions
- Lightly grease a deep dish 9'' or 10'' pie plate with cooking spray.*
- Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain, and add hot noodles to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add the butter and the hot pasta. Toss until butter is melted. Add parmesan cheese, basil, and a little salt and pepper and toss everything gently to combine. Empty pasta mixture into prepared pie pan and pat down tight.
- Spread cottage cheese evenly over the top of the pasta. Spoon your favorite spaghetti sauce over top and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.
- Store leftover spaghetti pie in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated February 2020 with a video and simplified instructions.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
This is SO goooood, we devoured it! I adapted it a little: replaced some of the parm with nutritional yeast, used two eggs, and added a bit of leftover feta. Used Raos sensitive marinara sauce. Baked it a little longer too, about 30 minutes. This was a huge hit!! Adding Italian sausage or veggies would be great too! I posted about it on my Instagram page, @ThisNannyCooks.
This was delicious and a big hit with dinner company! Thank you for an easy, tasty dish to feed a crowd!
Just made for Monday night dinner, trying to incorporate one or two meatless dinners and this was perfect. Satisfying and filling for winter meal. Super easy to put together. I did use store bought marinara and add a few red pepper flares and served with salad.
Thank you for this easy and very tasty recipe. I needed to change it up a little bit for allergies. My husband and I loved it!
It was very tasty but I might ask why you would pour everything into the small bowl instead of the large bowl, and mine was just warm not hot after 20 minutes….. needed a fare amount more cooking time for me. Otherwise very good.
This was rich and yummy. I made this months ago and my 8 year old asked me to make it again. Great dish especially when you’re looking for a vegetarian dish.
I hate when people make a recipe but make changes….. however, this turned out fantastic and I want to share. I used cooked spaghetti squash and added 2 cup of baby spinach. I covered it with low fat cottage cheese and bake as instructed with (homemade) sauce. I didn’t feel even a little guilty have a second piece.
I made this for dinner along with the homemade spaghetti sauce recipe and my twin boys gobbled it up! My husband and I got a nice decent size piece..it was not a leftovers night! I didn’t have any cottage cheese or ricotta cheese at the time so I tried cream cheese. It tastes great!! So if you don’t have either of those ingredients, cream cheese does a great job!
Yum! My picky boys loved it. It came together quickly, too, making this a new go-to weeknight favorite. thank you.
This sounds Yummy! I’m going to make it tonight.
However, I do have a question. Would I be able to make this with your spaghetti and meat sauce instead of marinara sauce?
Yes, of course! If you have extra sauce you could freeze it for another day/another pie.
Can this be doubled and mane in a springform pan?
Sure!
Very easy to make and so yummy! I added a layer of ground Italian sausage (cooked) on top of the cottage cheese because my husband has to have meat with every dish. It came out great!
So easy and delicious! I’m obsessed with cheesy pasta and this is perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This is great! Any tips for saving some for left overs?
It reheats really well–store it in the fridge.
Yay, finally a dish that everyone loved!! Thank You
Can you use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese?
Sure. The taste and texture will just be different.
Egg Allergy – What could you use to replace the egg as a binder?
Hi Katie,
Here is a resource that lists some egg-binding substitutes!
This was so tasty. My son had seconds and thirds. lol
Delish! For my fam I doubled the recipe. I also added a layer of meat before the sauce & covered the top in a mixture of grated & shredded parm. Doubled, it fit perfect in a 9×13 & only needed a few extra minutes baking time. So good & easy! My guys loved it! Major props to your mom! Thanks for sharing her recipe! 5 stars!
One of my fav quick, easy and delish!!
Thanks so much Kim! <3
This is a winner!! My kids loved it 🙂 definitely going in the rotation at our house!