Spaghetti Pie with Meat Crust. Rich, savory spaghetti over dense, flavorful meat crust. Sprinkled with gooey cheese on top. Every bite a bit of happiness.
Who’s ready for a twist on a classic? Today we’re taking spaghetti, pizza and pie, and combining them into one beautiful, glorious dish. More easily recognized as Spaghetti Pie with Meat Crust; you get the best of both worlds one easily enjoyable slice of bliss.
I admit I can’t take full credit for this type of recipe. There has been some of these floating around in the food blog world, and I just HAD to try it. Some recipes suggest you make spaghetti and mix with egg and bake as a casserole in a pie dish. This Spaghetti Pie recipe takes it to a whole new level. Just look at that meat crust below.
The ground beef you often find in the spaghetti is morphed into a meat crust. Yep you read that right. Now you get rich, savory chewy spaghetti over a dense, flavorful meaty crust. The contrast in texture and bold flavor is absolutely divine! Sprinkle with gooey cheese on top and get ready for that bite of happiness.
Cooking Tips: Using fennel seeds in Italian cooking
Fennel seeds are the main ingredient that give Italian sausage its unique flavor. This is my preferred choice when making lasagnas, spaghetti or any Italian dish with meat. If you don’t have any sausage on hand, or want to use more affordable beef instead, add some fennel seeds. About 1–2 teaspoons per pound is all you need. Add it while you are cooking the beef.
I shot this in natural light at 1/80 sec, f/ 2.8, ISO 1600. I was lucky to get some photographs the looked like the dish was still neatly intact. This pie, like any others with a filling, can tend to ooze out once you cut slices. A couple tips to help with this: You can prep your camera setup so you’re ready to shoot with correct setting, cut a slice, and photography quickly. Or you can chill the dish to firm it up, then slice and photography with more time. I went with the first options so I could eat and enjoy the dish right away.
Products used in this dish:
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 12-Quart Pot
Pyrex Easy Grab 9.5 Inch Pie Plate
Commercial Quality Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
OXO SoftWorks Can Opener
Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.
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Spaghetti Pie with Meat Crust
Ingredients
- 1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 8-ounce can pizza or marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, combine first 7 ingredients through fennel seeds. Add ground beef and mix well. Evenly press mixture into bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Baked uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until meat is browned and reaches internal temperature of 160 F. Remove from oven and carefully tilt to drain off excess fat, set crust aside.
- While meat crust is baking you can start noodles. Cook according to package directions, until just tender. Drain and return to pan. Stir in egg and Parmesan until evenly coated.
- Spread half of pizza sauce onto bottom of cooked meat crust. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella then all of spaghetti mixture. Top with remaining pizza sauce and mozzarella. Bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes at 350, until heated through and cheese is melted. Remove and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.
This looks amazing! I’ve been lusting after spaghetti pie for forever, but the meat crust takes this one over the top. Pinning!
Thanks Valentina! I had been wanting to make a spaghetti pie forever as well. The meat crust makes it so much more fun and unique. Thanks for pinning!
What a creative idea! And so perfect for meal prep, love it!
Hi Selena! Thanks for the comment. This is a great recipe for prepping and leftovers. You get about 8 slices, so Olia and I got 4 shared meals just out of this one recipe.
Yum, love the idea of a spaghetti dish to mix up the usual spaghetti night! Gotta add this on our list!
Thanks Pamela! This one is great for leftovers too, hope you enjoy! If you remember, let me know how you like it once you make it.
What an interesting idea – I’ve never thought of combining spaghetti and pie.
Also, thanks for the photo tips!
Thanks Natalie. Now that you know you should try it 🙂 I have to check out that soup you posted.
Couldn’t think a plate could look this delicious!! Awesome food photography skills 🙂
Thanks Jorge! I really appreciate the compliment. Food photography, like any skill, is a constant learning process. So thanks for the feedback.
Meat crust?! I think I just discovered my new favorite thing 🙂
Thanks April! It’s so hard to pick a favorite food thing, I love it all! But this is definitely up there for me too.
What a seriously fun twist on a classic!
Thanks Matt! I appreciate that (coming from you with all your creative recipes).