Gluten Free Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell), at room temperature
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons (28 g) extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces gluten free spaghetti
1 pound lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 28-ounce can tomato puree (or 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, pureed until smooth)
8 ounces low moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan, and set it aside.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 tablespoon of oil until well-combined, then set the bowl aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but boil for at least 2 minutes less than the recommended time. Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Add the beaten egg mixture, and toss the spaghetti to coat completely. Place the spaghetti mixture in the prepared cake pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Press as firmly as you can to compress the pasta. Set the pan aside.
In a medium-size, heavy-bottom skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Remove the beef from the skillet, drain any grease and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the diced onion and garlic until the garlic is fragrant and the onion is translucent (about 6 minutes). Remove the garlic and discard it. Add the salt, pepper, oregano (pressing the dried oregano between your palm and forefinger to release the oils) and basil, return the cooked ground beef to the skillet and add the tomato puree. Mix to combine.
Scrape the tomato sauce and ground beef mixture on top of the cooked spaghetti in the pan and spread into an even layer. Top with the grated mozzarella cheese in a single, even layer.*
Place the pan in the center of the preheated and bake until the cheese is melted and the spaghetti “crust” is lightly golden brown (about 25 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to set at room temperature for about 5 minutes before slicing into wedges, sprinkling with fresh torn basil, and serving.
*Make Ahead Option: At this point in the recipe, the pie can be cooled and wrapped tightly, then frozen unbaked for up to a month—or refrigerated for up to 2 days. Defrost in the refrigerator, and then continue with the recipe instructions. You may need to add on a few minutes to the bake time for a refrigerated pie.