Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie exceeded all my expectations. It is the best parts of lasagna and spaghetti. We loved it, the family I shared it with loved it and so did my mom. That is a lot of love. It does have a few steps but came together quickly. Next time I make it I will make the meat sauce in the morning. Then cook the noodles and assemble the 'pie' in the evening. Doing a bit of dinner prep in the morning is so helpful.

Spaghetti Pie
12 ounces thin spaghetti or vermicelli
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
16 ounce tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Lightly coat a deep 9 or 10 inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook the noodles until al dente according to package.  While the noodles boil brown ground beef. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is cooked through.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano.  Simmer the sauce over medium-low head for 10 minutes.
3. When the noodles are done, drain and return to the pot.  Immediately stir in the softened cream cheese and toss the noodles by lightly lifting them up and over with tongs until the cream cheese is mostly incorporated. Stir in the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and the mozzarella cheese.  Toss until the noodles are evenly coated.  Stir in 3 cups of the red sauce.  Keep the remainder of the sauce warm on the stove.
4. Scrape the noodles into the prepared pie plate and using a flat spatula press the noodles evenly into the dish so they are tightly pressed together and evenly flat across the top. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top.
5. Bake the spaghetti pie for 20-22 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is golden on top.  Let the dish rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into slices and serve with remaining red sauce.
--This makes 6-8 generous servings. Which is way to much for 2! It does reheat well so leftovers are great. I made 2 smaller pies and have one in the freezer for another day.
--The meat sauce was excellent on its own. It is easy to make and would be yummy on spaghetti.
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe