Spaghetti Pie

Step 1

Make the spaghetti sauce:

Step 2

Heat a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the beef, stirring often, until crumbled and no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside; pour the grease into the trash.

Step 3

Add the oil to the same pot and then add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.

Step 4

Add back the cooked beef and stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, basil, parsley and broth. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, or 1 to 2 hours if you have that much time; the longer it cooks, the more intense the flavors will get. Since the broth can be very salty, taste the sauce before adding salt, then season to taste with pepper. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the butter.

Step 5

Make the spaghetti pie:

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 7

In a large bowl, mix together the spaghetti, eggs, Parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the tomato paste.

Step 8

Grease a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie pan with the olive oil. Spread half the spaghetti sauce in the bottom. Top with the noodle mixture and press to make the noodles even. Top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella on top.

Step 9

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the pie is warmed through. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then slice like a pie with a sharp knife.