If you’re serving a crowd or looking for a great weeknight recipe that actually reheats well, you’ve got the right recipe! This one makes enough for two pies, so you can freeze one or give the second to friends or neighbors to warm their house and bellies too. Don’t need that much? Simply cut the recipe in half for one pie.

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Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes

Stand time: 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Makes about 8 servings per pie

• 16oz package of spaghetti
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage (if you use the links, which you can absolutely do, make sure you remove the casings before cooking)
• Olive oil
• 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves (about 2 Tablespoons) of garlic, diced
• 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• 6oz can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dry Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 large eggs
• 4 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 15 oz container Ricotta cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Chopped parsley, optional, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease two pie dishes or 9×9 square pans, with olive oil. Set aside.
• Cook spaghetti per the package in salted water until al dente. Drain well. Set aside.
• While your pasta cooks, in a large skillet, add a dash of olive oil, chopped onion, and Italian sausage over medium-high heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes until no pink remains.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer or until you can smell the garlic cooking.
• Drain excess fat from pan.
• To your skillet, add marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir together well.

Begin assembly:

• In a large bowl, toss cooked spaghetti with 2 Tablespooons of butter (1 Tablespoon if you’re only making one pie) until butter has melted.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat your eggs with a fork and add to the large bowl of pasta.
• Add 2 Tablespoons (of the 4) of Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Mix pasta, eggs, and Parmesan together so pasta is well coated.
• In each of your pie plates, add spaghetti to the bottom and 1 inch up the sides as your “pie crust.” If you are only making one, then add all of your spaghetti to one pie plate, otherwise divide it in half.
• Add a layer of mozzarella cheese, about 1/2 cup, on top of the spaghetti.
• Spread half of the ricotta over the layer of mozzarella. Spread the other half over the second pie.
• Top ricotta with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Add 2-3 cups of spaghetti sauce mixture evenly over the top of the cheese layers and spread to the edges, leaving about an inch from the side of the pie plates. (I usually just divide my spaghetti mixture in half and do half over one pie and half over the other).
• Top each with the rest of the mozzarella, and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over the top of each pie.
• Place one pie in the oven at a time to bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes (check at 30 minutes) or until bubbly and golden on top.
• Remove and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Then cut and serve.
• Bake your second pie or cover appropriately and freeze for later.

• I will die on the hill shouting that shredding your own block of mozzarella cheese is far superior to buying the already shredded version. It tastes better and melts better. It just does. But if you are short on time or do not own a grater…as long as it’s shredded, it will work. But it’s NOT as good.
• If you want a spicier version, consider adding 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes OR subbing mild Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage.
• If you want a milder, blander version, you may use ground beef or turkey or even ground chicken.
• Don’t overcook your pasta as it will still cook in the oven. I highly recommend cooking to al dente (according to the package) or even a minute less than al dente.
• If you have leftover sauce, you can always serve it on the side as dipping sauce with garlic bread, or just alongside everyone’s slice of pie. You can also save it with some plain pasta as a quick kid lunch for future.

My grandma used to serve a version of this on Christmas Eve at her house where we spent many of my childhood Christmases. I don’t remember enjoying it as a kid, mostly because I was either too excited to open presents or because I had already filled up on Christmas cookies, or just wanted Christmas cookies instead of dinner.

But as an adult I love this dish because it’s fairly easy to make and tastes like it took hours to make when it really doesn’t take long at all. In the time it takes to cook I have my kitchen cleaned up from all the pots and pans and the dishwasher loaded, which is another reason I love this dish–built in cleanup time is a huge bonus, especially if you’re hosting an event or holiday.

You could also easily prepare these the day before and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to bake them, which I highly recommend if you are making this dish while hosting. It cuts time and cleanup and allows you to enjoy yourself more. Just make sure you take them out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before baking to allow them to warm up a bit.

With the holiday season right around the corner, give this one a try and share an extra one with a neighbor, family, or friends so they can have a prep-free meal (As a mom, I believe this option is a severely underrated gift!) or an evening they don’t have to answer “what’s for dinner?”

Until next time,