Gail Simmons' Spaghetti Pie

I love this Spaghetti Pie!  That’s right, I said Spaghetti Pie! I make a lot of pasta dishes at home, but I have never made anything like spaghetti pie before and I have to thank Gail Simmons’ new cookbook, Bringing It Home for introducing me to this fun and easy recipe that my family just devoured. 

If you are a fan of the TV show “Top Chef”, then you already know about the fabulous judge, Gail Simmons.  I was so excited when I was offered to review her new cookbook, "Bringing It Home".   

This is a beautiful cookbook with page after page of amazing photos and recipes.  I was inspired to try several of her recipes out to figure out which one I should share with you today.  It was hard for me to pick a winner because all of the dishes were delicious.  Of course, once my family had the spaghetti pie (featured on the cover of her book) they said I had to feature it because was so fun and delicious.  

Some of her other amazing dishes are Spaghetti with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Basil, Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich, Chocolate Banoffee Pie and Scallops and Peas with Mint Gremolata. I have already bookmarked several more recipes to try on the request of my son, daughter and husband.   This book is not just full of great recipes, but Ms. Simmons also shares ingredient tips, cooking techniques, and even personal stories that are fun to read for any food lover. 

Now let’s get down to Gail Simmons’ recipe for Spaghetti Pie!

Ingredients:

·       Unsalted butter for greasing the pan

·       2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·       1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

·       2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

·       ¾ pound broccoli or broccoli rabe, trimmed, stems and florets chopped into ¼ inch pieces (about 2 ½ cups)

·       1 pound 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 pound dried spaghetti

·       ¾ cup whole milk

·       3 large eggs

·       2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

·       2 ½ cups (8 ounces) grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese

·       2 ½ cups (8 ounces) grated fontina cheese

·       1 ½ cups (3 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

·       1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

·       Special equipment: 9 ½ springform pan 

Note: Ms. Simmons uses a springform pan in her recipe, but my son was insistent that I put it in a pie pan since it was a pie.  I think it came out just as nice.

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 425ºF. Butter a 9 and 1/2-inch spring-form pan. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with a large sheet of 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 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 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 the pasta pot, whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, and 3/4 teaspoons of salt. Stir in the cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan. Add the sausage mixture and spaghetti; 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.

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 about 10 minutes then release and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into slices and serve warm.

This recipe and all the recipes that I tried got two thumbs up from my family.  Look out for Gail Simmons cookbook, "Bringing It Home" for even more fabulous recipes to try for your family. 

 

Disclosure:  I was provided a complimentary copy of Bringing It Home by Gail Simmons.  All opinions are my own.

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