This vintage pasta dish is a budget-friendly, family favorite!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- In under just one hour, you can whip up a flavor-packed meal with stuff you already have in your fridge.
- Give new life to leftover spaghetti with this easy dinner recipe—it's especially great for busy weeknights.
- With plenty of variations, you can get creative cooking spaghetti pie. Use up other leftovers, add more veggies—there are tons of options!
Leftover spaghetti pie is one of those vintage comfort food recipes that has stood the test of time.
After all, it doesn't get better than leftover spaghetti noodles and the taste of mouthwatering red meat sauce and gooey, melty cheese.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Not a fan of ground beef? This recipe is delicious with sweet Italian sausage, ground turkey, or cooked/shredded chicken.
- Use store-bought marinara sauce, or opt for homemade. We'd all love to have time to whip up some from scratch, but that's not always realistic.
- This recipe also works with other types of sauce, like vodka/blush sauce or canned meat sauce. Of course, you can use leftover sauce, too!
- You don't have to use spaghetti—any cooked pasta shape will do. Bow tie noodles or rigatoni are a fun twist if you have 'em.
- Add sliced mushrooms, onions, olives, or bell peppers to your pasta sauce mixture for more bulk and extra veggies.
- To add more flavor, throw in some roasted garlic or sprinkle red pepper flakes on top.
- If you don't have access to fresh basil, feel free to stir in a tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning instead.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then, stir in the butter, parmesan, and leftover pasta.
- Spread the spaghetti mixture into a pie pan and add cottage cheese.
- Mix the ground beef into the tomato sauce and spoon over the cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then, add a final layer of mozzarella cheese and let melt.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Store your leftover leftover spaghetti pie—nope, not a typo—in an airtight container. Otherwise, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and enjoy within 3-5 days.
You can also freeze the leftovers to eat later on. Be sure to store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Tightly sealed in the freezer, spaghetti pie will keep for about a month.
To reheat, let your spaghetti pie thaw in the fridge overnight (if frozen). Then, replace the plastic with foil and bake in the oven at 325 until it is warmed through. You can also use the microwave for small portions.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: If your cottage cheese is runny, I recommend draining the excess liquid before spreading it over the noodles. You can use cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to do this quickly and easily.
- Grease the pie plate really well so that the noodles don't stick to the edges! You can use butter if you don't have non-stick spray.
- Be sure to use cooked meat. Raw ground beef won't cook all the way!
- Picky eaters don't like chunky sauce? Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to get a nice smooth texture before stirring in the meat.
- Prep this leftover spaghetti recipe ahead of time! Just before baking, cover the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for a day or two.
- If you plan to freeze your spaghetti pie, I recommend ditching the pie pan and baking this recipe in an aluminum disposable baking dish.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yep, I recommend cooking pasta al dente—whether you're serving spaghetti and meatballs or using it for baked spaghetti. Generally, pasta continues to soften a teensy bit with heat from sauce or the oven. However, if your leftover spaghetti is softer, it'll still taste great.
Sure! As much as I love the cottage cheese in this recipe, I'm also a big fan of ricotta. Feel free to swap one for the other or use both as a yummy cheese blend.
As it bakes, the egg helps everything bind together without getting too dry—like a lasagna! With this mixture in the recipe, you achieve the perfect pie slice when you're ready to dig in.
Yep, leftover cooked pasta must be stored in the fridge—unless you plan to prep your spaghetti pie within two hours. Any longer than that and into the Tupperware they go!
No worries. A square-shaped casserole dish will do the trick if you don't have a pie plate. You can also use a springform pan, round cake pan, or even a large skillet with high sides.
📚 Related recipes
- Looking for another main dish to fill all your comfort food needs? This Baked Ziti with Sausage tastes better than any restaurant version!
- If you love this spaghetti pie recipe, you'll want to try the crowd-friendly Million Dollar Spaghetti—it's like a fabulous lasagna/spaghetti fusion.
- A family-friendly dinner option that couldn't be easier, Cheesy Crock-Pot Chicken Spaghetti cooks all day so you don't have to do a thing!
🍽️ Serve with...
I always like to pair my pasta dinners with a nice side salad. Broccoli Salad gives me a refreshing yet flavorful crunch that adds the perfect texture to this hearty meal.
Don't forget a dipper for the leftover sauce! These mouthwatering Garlic Breadsticks make you feel like you are dining at your favorite local Italian restaurant—no fancy outfit required.
Of course, I recommend finishing the meal off with a buttery Lemon Sheet Cake. This one will have everyone coming back for a second helping… or a third!
Need more ideas? Check out these 50 side dishes for Chicken Spaghetti - they'll work here, too.
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I am absolutely in love with this pretty pie plate - it's deep and perfect for every kind of pie you can think of!
📞 The last word
This leftover spaghetti casserole recipe means that making too much pasta (or am I the only one that does that?) will never be a problem again! Seriously y'all, this is just so good.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Leftover Spaghetti Pie
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, 3 ½ cups cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ pound ground beef, cooked
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
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Instructions
- Spray a 9" deep dish pie pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Beat eggs in a large bowl.
- Add in the cooked spaghetti, butter, and Parmesan.
- Spread the mixture in greased pie pan pushing it up onto the sides to form the crust.
- Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti layer.
- Mix the ground beef with the spaghetti sauce and spoon it over the cottage cheese layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Garnish chopped with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
-
- If your cottage cheese is runny, I recommend draining the excess liquid before spreading it over the noodles. You can use cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to do this quickly and easily.
- Grease the pie plate really well so that the noodles don't stick to the edges! You can use butter if you don't have non-stick spray.
-
- Be sure to use cooked meat. Raw ground beef won't cook all the way!
-
- Picky eaters don't like chunky sauce? Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to get a nice smooth texture before stirring in the meat.
-
- Prep this leftover spaghetti recipe ahead of time! Just before baking, cover the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for a day or two.
-
- If you plan to freeze your spaghetti pie, I recommend ditching the pie pan and baking this recipe in an aluminum disposable baking dish.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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