Spaghetti Pie
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This isn’t your average pasta bake. With a mix of spaghetti, veggies, sausage, and cheese, this spaghetti pie from Gail Simmons has serious table appeal—and it’s surprisingly easy to make.
Featured on the cover of her beautiful new cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes From A Life of Adventurous Eating, Gail Simmons’ spaghetti pie recipe with broccoli and Italian sausage is—according to my husband—one of the best things I’ve ever made. I could take offense since it’s not even my recipe, but honestly, I totally agree. It’s similar to lasagna or baked ziti, just way more impressive to serve. Fair warning: it calls for a jaw-dropping amount of cheese, but trust me—it’s worth it.
Spaghetti pie is a total showstopper: big, cheesy, and built to feed a crowd. But don’t wait for a party to make it. The leftovers might be even better than the first time around. The recipe calls for a springform pan (worth having if you don’t already), but a large baking dish works too—just serve it up lasagna-style.
Want to get a head start? You can assemble the pie a day in advance and refrigerate it, then bake it off when you’re ready. It also freezes beautifully (unbaked) for up to a month.
“We make this about twice a month. This is a favorite of ours. Even the leftovers are amazing.”
What You’ll Need To Make Spaghetti Pie
- Olive oil, onion, garlic, broccoli (or broccoli rabe) & fresh sage: The aromatic start—olive oil softens everything up, onion and garlic add savory depth, broccoli brings texture and color, and sage gives it all a warm, earthy note that pairs perfectly with the sausage and cheese.
- Italian sausage: Adds bold, savory flavor. Use hot or sweet, and feel free to swap in turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter version.
- Spaghetti: The pasta base for the pie. Be sure to boil it just shy of al dente—since it finishes cooking in the oven, this helps keep it from turning mushy.
- Tomato paste & whole peeled tomatoes: Form the base of a rich, flavorful sauce with just the right balance of depth and acidity.
- Milk & eggs: This combo binds everything together—milk keeps the pie moist and creamy, while eggs help it set so it slices neatly.
- Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano & Fontina Cheese: A flavorful cheese trio that melts beautifully and delivers tang, richness, and a salty, nutty finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the veggies. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and 1 tablespoon of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.
Step 2: Cook the sausage. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully cooked, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3: Simmer the sauce. Add the crushed tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid evaporates. Take off the heat and set aside.
Pro-Tip: Using canned whole tomatoes and crushing them yourself is preferable to using diced tomatoes—diced canned tomatoes contain a firming agent, calcium chloride, that prevents them from breaking down.
Step 4: Cook the spaghetti. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in a large pot until just shy of done—7 to 8 minutes. You’re looking for a bit of a white core when bitten. Drain (don’t rinse) and return to the pot.
Step 5: Make the egg mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
Step 6: Put it all together. To the pot of spaghetti, add the egg mixture, sausage-broccoli combo, cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Pro Tip: Stir quickly once the egg mixture hits the hot pasta to avoid bits of scrambled egg. A rubber spatula or wooden spoon works best for gentle but thorough mixing.
Step 5: Bake the pie. Wrap the outside of your springform pan with foil and butter the inside. Spoon in the pasta mixture, smooth the top, and set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet—this catches any drips and makes it easier to move in and out of the oven. Bake at 375°F until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling, about 35 minutes.
Step 6: Broil the topping. Take the pan out of the oven and switch on the broiler. Sprinkle the top with the sage and remaining ½ cup of Parmesan, then broil for a few minutes, until golden and just starting to crisp. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edges, and let it rest for 10 minutes—don’t skip this part! It helps the pie firm up so the slices hold together. Release the sides of the pan, slice, and serve warm.
Video Tutorial
Other Hearty Pasta Dishes You’ll Love
Gail Simmons' Epic Spaghetti Pie
Looking for a fresh take on pasta night? the spaghetti pie brings together hearty ingredients and plenty of cheese for dinner that feels special.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¾ lb broccoli or broccoli rabe, trimmed, stems and florets chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, tomatoes crushed by hand
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- ¾ cup whole milk (I substituted half & half)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ cups (8 oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2½ cups (8 oz) grated fontina cheese
- 1½ cups (3 oz) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- Special equipment: 9½-inch springform pan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set a rack in the middle position. Butter a 9 ½-inch springform pan. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil, crimping the foil against the outer edges to tightly seal.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and 1 tablespoon of water and cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small bits, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the crushed drained tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any bits from the pan, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add salt to the boiling water and cook the spaghetti just until very al dente, 7 to 8 minutes (look for a white spot in the center when you bite into a strand). Drain the pasta (do not rinse) and reserve the pot.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Combine the spaghetti and milk mixture in the pot; add in the sausage-broccoli mixture, cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan; stir until well combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared pan. Using a spatula, smooth the top. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden and bubbling, about 35 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if the top starts to get too brown, cover with foil.)
- Remove the pan from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the pie with the sage and remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the inside of the pan. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes, then release and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into slices and serve warm.
- Make Ahead: The pie can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time, then baked right before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The unbaked pie can be frozen for up to a month. The day before serving, remove the pie from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 642
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Sodium: 862 mg
- Cholesterol: 153 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn I’m just curious is this recipe Italian? Everything sounds delicious but the cheddar cheese is throwing me. Seems odd with the other ingredients but always trust your instincts. You mentioned using 9×13 dish as option. How deep should it be?
Thanks
Hi Chris, this definitely leans in the Italian direction, but I agree that the cheddar cheese is an unconventional addition. (This is not my recipe, but I’ve made it many times and it’s delicious!) And, most 9 x 13 inch baking dishes are about 2 inches deep deep and that should be sufficient. Hope you enjoy!
We make this about twice a month. This is a favorite of ours. Even the left overs are amazing. I do add pepperoni on top, really adds to the flavor. Thank you Gail for this recipe. Just love it!
Linda Smith
Hi! Looking forward to making this, but after trying all the sausages at my go to grocery store, I’ve realized sausage is just not their strong suit, so plan to hit the store down the street that tends to carry more varieties. What brand did you use?
Thank you!
Hi Shannon, Johnsonville is a good brand and widely available. Hope that helps!
I loved this recipe! I used a big casserole dish, covered it loosely with foil while baking, but broiled it uncovered for the last few minutes. I mistakenly didn’t drain the tomatoes, but it didn’t matter because the liquid simmered off on the stove. Really cheesy and full of flavor. Will do the springform pan next time.
Can I use homemade spaghetti sauce instead of squeezing the whole tomatoes and if yes how much should I use?
I use your recipes all the time and love them!
Hi Carol, you could use your own spaghetti sauce, but because your sauce is likely flavored with seasonings and aromatics, you may want to cut back on that in the recipe. Hope it comes out nicely! 😊
My family can’t eat pork. Do you think I could substitute with an Italian turkey sausage or would that make it too dry?
Turkey sausage is perfectly fine to use — enjoy!
I plan to make this ahead and freeze to give to someone. If I didn’t want to freeze it in a spring form pan to give away what would you suggest?
Hi Rachel, I assume you’ll freeze this before baking? Do you plan to have the recipient bake it?
Yes! I plan to freeze before backing! Wouldn’t you think that would be the best way? I did buy some aluminum/foil pans that are about 7×9 and fairly deep. Will that work?
As long as it’s pretty deep, I think it should work. If you find it’s getting too full, you could divide it into 2 of the pans.
Hello,
We like the spaghetti pie because it is so handy to freeze in advance of having houseguest. I’m wondering if “pork breakfast sausage” is the same as ” sweet Italian sausage”? The butcher gave my husband something labeled “pork breakfast sausage.”- We live in a small town, and maybe that was as close as he could get, but as a mostly vegan eater, I’m trying to understand sausage a little better. I did use it in the recipe and I expect it will be just fine. Thank you.
P.S. We really like the foccacia and the Big Italian Salad and dressing with this spaghetti pie. The accompaniment suggestions which you provide are very helpful.
Hi Ellen, I believe that the only difference between the two types of sausage is slightly different seasonings. Glad to hear you find the pairing suggestions helpful! 🙂
Would a different shaped pasta work in this recipe? Like penne?
I haven’t tried it with any other pasta shapes, but I suspect it will work.
What would be a good substitute for the Fontina Cheese?
Hi Caleb, you can replace it with whole milk mozzarella. Enjoy!