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Gail Simmons’ Epic Spaghetti Pie
Featured on the cover of her beautiful new cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes From A Life of Adventurous Eating, Gail Simmons’ Spaghetti Pie made with broccoli and Italian sausage is, according to my husband, one of the best things I have ever made. EVER. I suppose I could take offense since it’s not even one of my own recipes but I totally agree with him. It’s similar to sausage lasagna or baked ziti with sausage, only way more impressive to serve. Fair warning: the recipe calls for a jaw-dropping amount of cheese. All I can tell you is that it’s worth it. Gail writes, “Spaghetti pie is a big affair, impressive in both stature and ingredients, and meant to serve a hungry crowd. You don’t have to wait for your next party to make it, though. If you don’t have enough eaters to tackle it, there’s a bonus: Slices of the savory pie make the best leftovers of all time.” The recipe requires a springform pan, which is a good investment if you don’t have one, but you could easily use a large baking dish and serve the “pie” lasagna-style if need be.
To begin, heat the oil in a large skillet 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.
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 1/4 teaspoon salt. (Note that it’s best to use canned whole tomatoes and crush them yourself over diced tomatoes, since diced canned tomatoes contain a firming agent, calcium chloride, that makes them slow to break down.)
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.
Meanwhile, 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 3/4 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 a springform pan wrapped in aluminum foil (wrapping the pan in foil protects against leakage). 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.
Remove the pan from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the pie with the sage and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
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.
Gail Simmons' Epic Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 lb broccoli or broccoli rabe, trimmed, stems and florets chopped into 1/4-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
- 3/4 cup whole milk (I substituted half & half)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2-1/2 cups (8 oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2-1/2 cups (8 oz) grated fontina cheese
- 1-1/2 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 1/2-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 1/4 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 3/4 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 1/2 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.
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.
Reviews & Comments
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Hi Jenn,
I am making this spaghetti pie right now and am worried that the Fontina that I just purchased from the Italian store has gone bad. I have never purchased fontina before so I am unfamiliar with its smell. Is it normal for this cheese to have a VERY PUNGENT odor?
Thanks,
Jamie
Hi Jamie, I know that some varieties of Fontina can be fairly stinky, but, without looking at it and smelling it myself, it’s hard to say if what your smelling is normal or if it’s gone bad. How did the dish turn out?
Fantastic! I used a pound of sage sausage, a little extra tomato paste, and more broccoli because it shrinks in the oven, and it was delicious! It also makes for a unique presentation-spaaghetti wedges!
Do you butter the pan and then wrap it in foil? I’m confused as to what the butter is preventing sticking?
Hi Phyllis, the butter goes on the inside of the pan to prevent sticking and the foil goes on the outside to prevent any leakage from the springform. Hope that clarifies!
Will this recipe work with gluten-free spaghetti ? If so, what base ingredient for the spaghetti, e.g., brown rice would wor best?
Hi Diane, I’ve never cooked with gluten-free spaghetti, so I can’t say for sure how it would impact the texture, but I suspect it should work. If you’ve used a particular type of gf pasta (i.e., brown rice, quinoa, etc.) I’d stick with the type that has given you the best results.
This is the secret recipe of my church group. We get together and make these by the dozens. They freeze well and are easy to transport to families that need emergency dinners. Don’t skimp on the cheese, it pulls everything together and makes it more than just an everyday hotdish.
Making your delicious epic spaghetti pie…can I use a bundt pan instead of a springform pan?
Hi Gerri, I’m not sure it’ll unmold easily, so I don’t think I’d risk it. Sorry!
Dear Jenn, my wife is a vegetarian, so I substituted what is known in Germany as soja schnetzel (soy granules that, when hydrated look similar to ground beef) for the sausage and instead of hydrating it with plain water, I used vegetable bullion. It is without doubt one of our all time favorite pasta dishes! Thanks so much for passing this along!
Hi Jen,
I’ve made this once before and it was out of this world! I’m making it for company later today and I’m wondering if I can use a 10″ springform as opposed to the 9″?
I know it won’t be as tall, but do you think it would work?
Thank you!
I definitely think that will work, Helene. 🙂
Hi Jenn!
Is there a way to make this vegetarian? Remove the meat or swap it with a vegetable maybe?
Thank you!
-Leah
Hi Leah, Gail Simmons also makes a vegetarian version! You can find it here.
Hi, Jenn,
This spaghetti pie is comfort food at its best! It is rich, however, so one wedge and a side salad make a great combination. I have brand new neighbors next door who lived on a sailboat for the past 10 years. They probably did not take on many cooking projects, so I plan to share a half of the pie and your French Apple Cake with them.
I have not had this entree since childhood. When I was growing up, we called it “Spaghetti Loaf”, because it was baked in a loaf pan, but your recipe is much better (sorry, mom :).
The recipe did not say what kind of Sweet Italian Sausage was recommended, so I bought Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage at Trader Joe’s Also, I had 1 lb. of organic ground beef (85/15) in the refrigerator (also from TJ’s) and was too lazy to start two projects for the day, so I added it to the Spaghetti Pie. It was perfectly paired with the Chicken Sausage and despite my initial concern the pie might become dry, it didn’t. Since my oven runs hot, I had the temperature at 425 instead of 475. The top of the pie was a beautiful golden/brown, and adding the remaining grated cheese at the end was a wonderful finishing touch.
For the tomatoes, I used whole peeled plum tomatoes (that was all I had on hand), and 1 8-oz. package of organic baby broccoli. I pulsed it in my food chopper, and it was the perfect consistency.
Lastly, I am counting the days until your cookbook comes out. In the next few days, I will be pre-ordering four copies…one for myself and the other three as gifts for friends who I share many of your recipes with.
On Saturday, I hosted a dinner party, and the four appetizers, drinks, two entrees, three sides, salad, and three desserts were all from your website (I did some prep on Friday, and also the baking, which allowed me time to enjoy my guests. Everyone raved about everything.
I might have mentioned before that despite owning dozens of cookbooks, they sit on the shelf in favor of your website, and every email from you is like a gift.
Happy Holidays to you and your family, Jenn, and thank you for all your do for us….your devoted readers.
Happy holidays to you and yours, too! (And thanks for such nice words – you made my day!) 🙂
Update: Jenn, I didn’t know what I was missing when I added a pound of ground beef the first time I made this pie, which was only because it was already thawed in the refrigerator. This time I followed the recipe EXACTLY as written, and it was indescribably delicious!
Also, although I am hosting a cocktail party to ring in the new year, today I came bearing gifts for friends hosting a New Year’s Day open house. I baked them a Spaghetti Pie, your French Green Beans With Shallots, and a loaf of your Cranberry Nut Bread (like i had nothing else to do) 🙂
Hi! Im such a huge fan of your website. So grateful for your recipes! I had a question about the spaghetti pie. I want to make it but do not eat pork, therefore can’t make it with sausage. Is there an alternative meat i could use/kosher option?
Thanks ☺
Hi Farah, You can definitely use turkey or chicken sausage here. Hope that helps!
Comfort food at it’s best.
I loved this! So good. I did have to leave out the broccoli, as my husband won’t eat it. Also substituted some mozzarella for the Fontina. I live in a rural area, and I’ve never seen it in a store. I will definitely be making this again!
My daughter made this for our family this weekend. She made it earlier in the week and froze the whole thin unbaked. She took it out of the freezer the night before we ate and popped it in the oven and it turned out perfectly. So good!
Great recipe. I used hot turkey sausage and broccoli rabe. It makes a beautiful presentation; definitely company worthy!
This is another wonderful recipe. Everybody loved it. I brought the leftovers to work and my coworker enjoyed it so much she made it the next day for her family.
This recipe is a winner. Great flavors and presentation. I used Havarti cheese in place of the Fontina since I had it on hand. This will go in my family favorites file
This was easy to make and so delicious! The only change I made was to use turkey sausage instead of pork. The kids ate the leftovers after school for days and are already asking me to make it again. Great recipe!
Any ideas about making this vegetarian? Maybe with meaty mushrooms and extra garlic/spices?
I think that could work; just make sure you saute the mushrooms in oil and, as you said, add extra garlic and herbs. I’ve love to hear how it turns out!
I made it with Gardein’s Beefless Ground and it came out great. You’ll want to spice up the ground, but it worked great for me. Also, while I was making this, I thought there was no way everything would fit in the pan, but somehow it did. Next time I think I will cook more water out of the broccoli-onion-ground mixture so it sets up firmer, but other than that (which is on me), this was 5 stars.
Made this last night. Everyone enjoyed it however the top got really crusty after baking then broiling and did not resemble your picture. I ended up removing some of the crispy black noodles on top. Is it suppposed to get a crusty top?
Hi Stacey, Was it already browned before you broiled it or did it burn under the broiler?
Yes, mine did too – many noodles were crispy and black before putting it under the broiler. While the cheese topping made a nice crust, I wondered if I should have loosely covered it with foil while it was baking?
Yes Amy, I think it’s a smart move to cover it with foil if it’s starting to brown more than you’d like. I just added it to the recipe.
I made this last night for company. It was a success! It looked beautiful, just like the pictures. I used hot Italian sousage which gave it a lot of flavor. The prep time was more like an hour but still worth making. Definitely a keeper.
I do not like sausage. Do you think the dish would lose much if I used ground beef?
Hi Elizabeth, I think it’d work well with ground beef – but I might increase the seasoning a bit to make up for the missing flavor.
Hi Jen. Looking forward to trying this out for a party Saturday… I’m in Tunisia though so Italian sausage isn’t an option. Will go for ground beef as you suggested. Any pointers on twicking the seasoning ? (Should I add cumin? Paprika?) Thanks in advance!
Hi Marine, I would suggest adding Italian seasoning, like oregano, basil, and more garlic. Hope you enjoy!
This is Epic. Wow! Thank you for sharing. I have pre-ordered your cookbook and I cannot wait for it to arrive in the mail. Your website is my go to for everything from weeknight dinners to dinner party ideas.
This sounds fantastic! What a great idea… My question: I am planning to bring this to a friend… will the bottom of the spring form pan stick to the bottom of the spaghetti pie? Should I line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper? Or, is it not necessary? I do not want my friend to be concerned about returning the bottom of my pan.
Thank you!
Adele
Hi Adele, It doesn’t stick — once the pie sets, you should be able to lift/slide it off carefully with two large spatulas.
Hi Jenn… thank you for your reply. This helps A LOT! (I apologize for calling you “Gail”…) This appears to be a variation of the Italian “timballo”… So much easier – and, it looks just as delicious! What a beautiful presentation…!! I cannot wait to make it. Your recipes are wonderful. Thank you, so much, for this fabulous site!
Adele
Made this for a group of hungry teenage boys last night and it was devoured with gusto. Can’t wait to make it again so I can actually have some!
Hi Jenn,
Your recipes have been a source of inspiration for quite a few years now (your Chicken Marbella is outstanding and my usual go-to!)
I ordered your recipe book as soon as I got the e-mail and I can’t wait to receive it next year. Thank you again so much for your dedication and hard work. Can’t wait for your next recipe 🙂
Thanks so much, Ashara! (Although I can’t take credit for Chicken Marbella – that’s a favorite from the famous Silver Palate Cookbook 😀)
Although I liked the dish, I would have liked more tomato flavour
I’m new to your site and I LOVE it. I have a question. Do you think I could make half the recipe and bake it in a smaller round dish?
Sure, Laurie – that will work. Enjoy!
Yum! Made it tonight for dinner and the family collectively enjoyed it. This would be great to take to an event because it looks beautiful and makes so much food.
Sorry I mean spring form pan, not bundt pan. After I saw someone asked about that. Pretty sure contents will fit into my deep 3 qt baking dish, but how long to you think it should bake?
I knew what you meant ;). I think bake time will be the same.
Hi Jenn, wonder if the spaghetti pie could be cooked in 3 qt baking dish instead of bundt pan?
Yep – that’ll work. Hope you enjoy it!
I like the idea of using a Bundt pan. There would be room for a tall and interesting presentation. It would also be easy to slice portions. Good idea! Maybe the name of “Spaghetti Pie” may have to change to something like Spaghetti Bundt Pie” :-).
Sorry…I forgot to ask if a 9″ springform would work? The one I have holds 10 cups. It would be so good if my brain actually worked.
Ha! Most 9-inch springform pans are actually about 9-1/2 inches so I think you’ll be fine.
Thank you very much for BOTH responses, lol
Hi Jenn! Do you think I’d get good results freezing the cooked leftovers? There’s just the two of us…
I do think this would freeze well, Debby. You could also divide the unbaked pasta into two separate baking dishes and freeze one for later.
Jenn,
Do you think this would be as good with spaghetti squash instead of pasta?
Lynn
Yes definitely!
This looks great! I am not a broccoli fan so I think I will give it a try w/spinach and add a few mushrooms. I have a spring form pan, but I might give it a try w/individual crock bowls that I have that should be plenty deep, just flip them over and make a small pie. Lined sprayed parchment should work. If it works it would be a great dish to take a friend that is sick or recovering from surgery along w/some bread, maybe small salad. This combo of ingredients is a favorite and I always have the items on hand except for the Fontina.
I am disabled on a fixed income so I doubt I will be able to purchase your new cookbook, maybe one day; but for now I am going to request my library to purchase it, which I am sure they will do. You get a purchase and I get to read it. Win/Win! I do wish you great success w/It!
After long and stressful days I have to say one of my favorite things to do to wind down is to read your site and browse the new recipes. It is calming and just feels so relaxing before I go to sleep. So thank you for all your hard work and sharing your ideas and recipes w/us.
That is so sweet, Ruby – thank you! ❤️
Hello !! I do not have a 9 ‘ spring form pan although i can go buy one …. is threre a possibility a 9 by 13 baking dish will do the trick ? Thank you and way to go on the new cookbook!!!!:)))
Hi Julie, A large baking dish will definitely work. I haven’t tried it so I’m not positive it will all fit into a 9×13, but you can always bake any extra in a separate smaller dish (or freeze it for another time). Enjoy!
This recipe set the record for “fastest time to try a once upon a chef recipe” and it was great (added some red pepper flakes)! I baked this tonight in a 9×13 pan and it all fit perfectly. Cooking time was exact same also using the 9×13. Thanks Jenn!
I am diabetic and can’t eat the pasta, but do you think this would work with spaghetti squash? Thanks, Karen
I think it’s a great idea, Karen. Please let me know how it turns out.
This looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it. Do you think you could substitute beef for the sausage?
I do think that’d work, Mary Ellen. I’d add a bit more garlic and seasoning though since sausage adds so much flavor.
Is it ok to use skim or 1% milk to cut fat and calories?
Peg
I haven’t tried it, Peg, but I think it’d be fine. Please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Peg, don’t be concerned about the amount of fat in 6 Ozs of whole milk. If you are trying to reduce the amount of fats in your diet, remember this recipe calls for 1 Lb of sausage and 1.2 Lbs of cheese. That fat compared to the fat in 6 Ozs of milk, going from a 3 or 4 percent fat content in whole milk to 1 percent is inconsequential.
Should the prep time be adjusted? It reads 10 minutes but it appears it is at least 20. Thanks for your site! I made a few of your recipes and they turned out great.
That’s from the book but I will adjust. Thanks – and glad you like the recipes!
We made this spaghetti pie per the instructions, except for the sage. It was tremendous. Using a spring-form pan provided great height which was a real plus. We used BelGioioso™ Fontina Cheese which is a mild fontina. A lot of the flavor comes from your choice of sausage. We chose Johnsonville™ Sweet (Mild) Italian Sausage.
A big plus was that it was good the second day. We wrapped the left over in aluminum foil and gently re-heated in our big toaster oven.
Q: Do you think this could be assembled ahead and cooked the next day…or would the noodles soak up the juices?
(P.S. I just pre-ordered your book on Amazon – can’t wait for it!)
Thank you, Jamie! I definitely think it can be assembled ahead and baked the next day – see the notes at the end of the recipe for make-ahead instructions. 🙂