Spaghetti Pie

 

 Did you know that January 4th was National Spaghetti Day? I must admit that I was not so informed in advance, (otherwise I would have posted this recipe on the actual day!) but better late than never, right?
 Here's a really easy recipe that uses spaghetti in a non traditional way. Besides being delicious, it's really economical because you can make 2 pies out of only a pound of pasta. And you don't use as much marinara sauce, so it goes a lot further. And it's super easy!!! Make this one in advance and then just pop it in the oven for an quick mid-week dinner. Your family will love you for it!

8 oz cooked spaghetti
olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup marinara sauce, either purchased or home made
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Dried Italian seasoning (optional)

Heat oven to 350F.
Toss spaghetti with olive oil in large bowl. Stir in eggs and Parmesan cheese. Pour spaghetti mixture into greased pyrex deep dish pie plate. Press it down in the center and up the sides to form into a "crust". Spread ricotta cheese over pasta to within an inch of the edge. Spread the marinara over the ricotta. Top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and dried Italian seasoning. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting with a sharp knife.

Tips:
 If you have more than one pie plate, it's easy to form the crust simply by pressing an empty pie plate into the one with the spaghetti. It shapes it into the perfect crust!
 The amounts are just guesses. I honestly didn't measure a thing. I just added everything until it was enough.
 For an easy variation, use a different kind of pasta sauce. How about alfredo sauce? or maybe a delicious and creamy tomato blush sauce? Use any pasta sauce you like!
 I used 8 oz of pasta because I wanted MORE pasta in each slice. It is a SPAGHETTI pie, after all. But if you'd prefer a greater cheese/sauce to pasta ratio, go ahead and use a little less spaghetti. You'll have a thinner "crust" which will give you more room for the cheese and sauce in the pie.