This easy Spaghetti Pie is all meaty, cheesy and all things delicious. It is the perfect kid-friendly dinner to put together on a weeknight, or whip up on a weekend and serve some of those guests you’re hosting.
A delightful pasta crust, a creamy ricotta layer in the middle, and some hearty, savory meat topped with lots of cheese, this dish is actually a nice twist on your classic lasagna.
I’ve recently been experimenting with ground beef in my kitchen. In all honesty, it is such a versatile ingredient, and there’s so many ways to put it to use.
If you love the ease of cooking with ground beef too, try my stuffed zucchini boats and loose meat sandwich next! Both have both been huge hits and I think you will love them too.
Why You’ll Love This Spaghetti Pie Recipe
- It’s hearty: The baked spaghetti pie is super hearty and delicious - packing in pasta, meat, and cheese!
- Family-friendly: The simple, delicious flavors make it a hit with the entire family, even the picky kids!
- Meal-prep friendly: It’s great to prepare ahead of time and perfect if you love meal prepping.
- Customizable: From the meats to the noodles and even to the cheese layer, you’ll have tons of swaps to experiment with each time you make it.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Layer
- Pasta: Use a good quality vermicelli pasta for the base.
- Egg: To help bind everything together and form the crust.
- Butter: This one helps keep the crust moist.
- Garlic: For a bit of flavor. Use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.
- Cheese: For some yumminess.
- Seasonings: To season, I just used a bit of salt and Italian seasoning.
For the Cheese Layer
- Ricotta: For that soft, creamy, and delicate deliciousness.
- Egg: Adds structure and fluffiness to the cheese layer.
- Oregano: For a bit of flavor.
For the Meat Layer
- Ground beef: Makes the pie meatier and more filling.
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce lends a nice tangy flavor to the meat layer.
- Tomato paste: Add this in for some extra concentrated tomato flavor.
- Onion: Use a white or yellow onion to add sweetness to the sauce.
- Seasonings: To season the meat layer, I used a mix of salt, sugar, pepper, and a bit of Italian seasoning.
- Cheese: Lots of this, to sprinkle over the pie. Use pre-shredded cheese to make things easier.
- Oil: To cook the sauce in- use any cooking oil of your choice.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Noodle swap: Swap the classic spaghetti noodles or any other kind of noodles of your choice. Use chickpea pasta for extra protein or gluten-free.
- Meat swap: Don’t have ground beef? Ground chicken or turkey can both work wonderfully as an alternative. You can also use Italian sausage for a bit of spice.
- Cheese swap: Don’t have ricotta cheese? Use cream cheese instead. To top, you can also use mozzarella cheese, Mexican blend, or cheddar cheese.
- Make it spicy: To add a nice kick of heat to the dish, add some cayenne or red pepper flakes to the meat sauce.
- More Protein: Swap the ricotta cheese for blended cottage cheese.
How to Make Spaghetti Pie
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, bring salted water up to a boil to cook the pasta.
Step 1: Pasta prep. Cook pasta until al dente. Cool and transfer to a large bowl and combine with the egg, butter, garlic, cheese, and seasonings.
Step 2: Bake. Transfer the pasta crust mixture to a pie plate and press down on it. Bake for around 15 minutes, until the crust has set.
Step 3: Prep ricotta layer. In another bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the ricotta layer.
Step 4: Prep meat layer. Brown meat and onions in a pan and drain the grease. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook until the mixture thickens.
Step 5: Add the cheese. Pour the ricotta mixture over the baked crust and spread it out evenly.
Step 6: Assemble and bake. Spread the meat meat over the top and sprinkle lots of cheese over the top. Bake until golden brown on the top. Let it cool down a bit before you slice and serve.
⭐️ Hint: Wrap the spaghetti in a dry dish towel and then break it. This will help keep the pasta from flying all over the kitchen, and it’ll be much easier to break too.
If you love spaghetti recipes you may also enjoy this pizza spaghetti recipe.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Refrigerate leftover spaghetti pie in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and reheat it when needed. Cover up the baking dish with cling wrap, or transfer the pie into an airtight container before you refrigerate it.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this spaghetti bake is to microwave it. This helps preserve its structure too. Alternatively, you can use the oven if necessary but it may dry it out a bit.
- Freezing: You can also choose to freeze the leftovers if you want them to last longer. Use a freezer-safe container to store, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it when you want to.
Serving Suggestions
This spaghetti pie is such a hearty and filling treat all it really needs a simple side dish or two to round out your meal.
Enjoy it with some classic breadsticks or air fryer pizza rolls, and a nice dip, or a fresh salad like summer bell pepper salad or a mixed green salad.
Recipe Tips
- Prep smart: If you’re planning to meal prep this spaghetti pie over the weekend, I would recommend using a disposable foil pan to assemble everything. That way, you simply pop the pan straight from the freezer into the oven, and bake!
- Crust matters: Press the pasta firmly into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to do this. This will ensure it forms a firm crust, which is just what you want.
- Layer it right: Be careful when adding the meat layer on top of the ricotta. Avoid spreading it too much, or it can end up mixing into the ricotta layer.
- Don’t overcook: The key to getting the perfect crust for your spaghetti pie is to make sure the pasta is cooked just right. Overcooking it will cause it to become soggy when it gets out of the oven.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, of course! You can use your leftover cooked spaghetti to make the crust for the pie. Just make sure the pasta doesn’t end up overcooked.
Absolutely! The beauty of this baked spaghetti casserole recipe is that it can be made in advance too! Assemble it as you would, and then, instead of baking, cover it up in cling wrap and freeze it. Bake it straight from the freezer and add an extra 20-30 minutes of oven time to get it cooked to perfection.
Sure! Simply replace the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings in the meat mixture with your favorite jar of sauce.
More Delicious Spaghetti Recipes
Do you like spaghetti? Here are some more recipes you may also like to try.
How to Make It Video
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Spaghetti Pie
Equipment
- pie plate
Ingredients
BOTTOM PASTA CRUST
- salt to cook pasta
- 6 ounces vermicelli broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
MIDDLE RICOTTA LAYER
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
TOP MEATY LAYER
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ - 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
CHEESE TOPPING
- 1 ½ - 2 cups cheese shredded
Instructions
BOTTOM PASTA CRUST
- Breaking up the pasta can be difficult. Wrap the noodles tightly in a clean, dry, dishtowel to prevent the dry pasta from flying everywhere and making a mess. Do the best you can here. It doesn't have to be perfect. You might even want to break up the pasta in smaller handfuls so it is easier to break up.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot. Add vermicelli and cook until almost done or al dente. Drain in a colander in the sink.
- In a large bowl combine cooked vermicelli, butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning. Dump mixture into a deep 9 ½ to 10 inch pie plate. Press mixture into the plate. Bake until crust has set, between 15 and 20 minutes. Set aside.
MIDDLE RICOTTA LAYER
- In a medium sized bowl combine ricotta, egg, and oregano. I use a hand held blender but I leave it up to you. Scrape bowl with a spatula and spread mixture over top of your pasta crust.
TOP MEATY LAYER
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering or a drop of water flicked in it dances. Add onion and cook until softened, between 3 and 4 minutes. Add ground meat and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink, between 6 and 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and sugar and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
CHEESE TOPPING
- Top ricotta layer with meat mixture and sprinkle top with shredded cheese. Bake until golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. Broil for a moment or two to darken cheese if you desire. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Prep smart: If you’re planning to meal prep this spaghetti pie over the weekend, I would recommend using a disposable foil pan to assemble everything. That way, you simply pop the pan straight from the freezer into the oven, and bake!
- Crust matters: Press the pasta firmly into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to do this. This will ensure it forms a firm crust, which is just what you want.
- Layer it right: Be careful when adding the meat layer on top of the ricotta. Avoid spreading it too much, or it can end up mixing into the ricotta layer.
- Don’t overcook: The key to getting the perfect crust for your spaghetti pie is to make sure the pasta is cooked just right. Overcooking it will cause it to become soggy when it gets out of the oven.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2018. It's been updated with new content and images.
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