This Spaghetti Pie is a hearty and comforting twist on a classic. Cooked spaghetti is formed into a crust, then baked with a savory filling of Italian sausage, pasta sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and cottage cheese.
Easy Spaghetti Pie with Cottage Cheese
There’s nothing quite like spending time with family and enjoying a home-cooked meal. And spaghetti is the perfect way to bring everyone together.
While there are plenty of tasty ways to enjoy spaghetti, this spaghetti pie recipe may just be one of my favorites.
It’s perfect for an easy family dinner or a get-together with friends, because it can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a larger crowd.
Everything gets cooked and mixed together with a layer of cottage cheese and mozzarella on top.
It’s baked, then served in slices for a great twist on traditional spaghetti!
Want to give it even more of a twist? Try this recipe using chicken spaghetti or Mexican spaghetti instead!
How to Make Spaghetti Pie
Scroll to the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient amounts!
This Italian spaghetti pie is an impressive meal that’s quick to come together. Just 15 minutes of hands-on time needed for this recipe!
- In a skillet, combine sausage and onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and the sausage is cooked through. Add in the pasta sauce and garlic, then simmer until reduced.
- In a large bowl, mix together cooked spaghetti, butter, and seasonings. Add in the parmesan cheese and eggs, then stir until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese.
- Press the pasta into a pie dish. Make a crevasse in the center, then bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes.
- Pour the sausage mixture into the pre-baked pasta crust, then spread it out evenly.
- Add the cottage cheese mixture, then top with ½ cup of additional mozzarella cheese. Bake again until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Tips and Notes for this Spaghetti Pie Recipe
- Cook the pasta al dente. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven. I recommend slightly undercooking them on the stove for the perfect pie texture.
- Grease the pie dish. This prevents the spaghetti crust from sticking to the pan.
- If the pie is looking a bit too dry when it’s done, simply add a spoonful of pasta sauce to each slice before serving.
- Feeding a crowd? Double or triple the recipe and make multiple spaghetti pies!
Variations
- Use another meat. Swap the Italian sausage out for another meat such as ground beef or turkey. If you do this, you may want to add some extra seasonings to compensate.
- No cottage cheese? Ricotta cheese makes an excellent substitute!
- Add veggies. Feel free to sauté any veggies you think sound good with the onion and beef. Try mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, you name it.
- Try another cheese. Cheddar, brie, or gouda are all delicious options.
- Make it heartier. Add a layer of cooked ground beef or turkey before the spaghetti and sauce for an even heartier dish.
- Heat it up. Add some spice with crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Make it vegetarian. Simply omit the sausage! You can use a meatless variety of Italian sausage or create more volume and texture with additional veggies.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this Italian spaghetti pie recipe with any side dishes you would serve alongside classic spaghetti! Here are a few of my favorite pairings:
Storage
Fully assembled and baked spaghetti pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To reheat, warm back in the oven until heated through!
What’s the Point of Baking Spaghetti?
Baking spaghetti is a great way to give a traditional meal a fun twist! I mean, what’s not to love about a spaghetti pie crust loaded up with Italian sausage and cheese?
It also packs an extra punch of protein thanks to the cottage cheese!
Can Spaghetti Pie Be Made Ahead of Time?
Totally! You can assemble the spaghetti pie completely (minus the cheese) and store it in the fridge up to 24 hours before baking.
Does Spaghetti Pie Freeze Well?
Yes! Freezing spaghetti pie ahead of time is also super easy.
Simply assemble it as directed (again, minus the cheese), then wrap it tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy, let it thaw overnight, add the cheese mixture, then bake as directed.
More Yummy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Creamy Kielbasa Pasta
- Broccoli Cheese Pasta Bake
- Cheesy Pasta Bake Casserole
- Ricotta Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Rigatoni Pasta with Cottage Cheese
Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, any variety
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 2 cups pasta sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked according to the package instructions
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated off the block
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated off the block and divided
- ½ cup cottage cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, and spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with non-stick olive oil spray. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat then add the sausage and onion. Use a spatula to break up the sausage until it’s cooked through and the onion starts to soften.2 tablespoons olive oil1 pound Italian sausage½ cup white onion
- Stir in the pasta sauce and garlic, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until it reduces significantly.2 cups pasta sauce3 garlic cloves
- While the sausage is cooking, stir the cooked spaghetti, butter, Italian herbs and salt together in a large bowl.8 ounces spaghetti noodles1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 teaspoon Italian herbs½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the parmesan cheese and eggs, and stir until completely combined.1 cup parmesan cheese2 large eggs
- Press the pasta into the pie dish, making a crevasse in the middle then bake for 15 minutes.
- Stir 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese together in a small bowl and set aside.½ cup cottage cheese
- Pour the sausage mixture into the pasta crust and spread it out then evenly spread the cottage cheese mixture on top.
- Sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese then bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly on top.
- Slice and serve with freshly chopped parsley for garnish if desired. See post for storage options.
Tamy says
A question, can you substitute the spaghetti pasta with spaghetti squash or zucchini spirals? Will definitely add this recipe to my recipe box. Thankyou.
Kimberly says
Hi Tamy!
We haven't tested this recipe using spaghetti squash or zucchini spirals, so I'm not sure how it would turn out. There needs to be a sturdy "crust" or layer on the bottom to hold the meat sauce and cheese mixture. I'm not sure how soft the vegetables noodles may get or how much moisture they'd release to say 100%. 🙂