Spaghetti Pie

I grew up eating spaghetti. We probably had it for dinner at least two nights a week. It was cheap, easy, and just plain old spaghetti. Fast forward to married life where I'm lucky if I can get my husband to eat a noodle, let alone a bowl of spaghetti with red sauce. Because of this, I've been searching for a recipe that we can all enjoy as a family that is as comforting, easy, and inexpensive as a bowl of spaghetti. I think I've just found it!

My Mom made something similar to this recipe on occasion, but not until I was in high school. Her neighbor originally shared the recipe with her and then my Mom recently shared it with me. Well, I misplaced it, (no big surprise there!) so I went looking for it and found something similar in the New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Steve isn't a huge fan of leftovers so when he took this for lunch not once, but TWICE within two days of eating it for dinner, I immediately added it to our rotation of meals. And to top it off, It's not bad for you. (shhh, don't tell Steve!) He said it tasted like lasagna, only better! It's a keeper!

Spaghetti Pie (source: New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

• 4 oz. dried spaghetti
• 1 T. butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 8 oz. ground beef
• 1/2 C. chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/2 C. chopped green sweet pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
• 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 C. low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 C. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• Turkey pepperoni, regular pepperoni, or whatever other toppings you desire (We added this step)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
Return spaghetti to warm saucepan. Stir butter into hot pasta until melted. Stir in egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and fennel seeds until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano; heat through.
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate, forming a crust. Spread cottage cheese on the top and up the sides of pasta crust. Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. (Here is where we added turkey pepperoni to half and regular pepperoni to the other half)
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. To serve, cut into wedges.