This Spaghetti Squash Pie is a healthier, delicious re-make of a childhood comfort food. Spaghetti squash replaces the noodles for a gluten-free meal the whole family will enjoy!
Spaghetti Squash Pie
Childhood favorites are no less delicious as an adult. Spaghetti pie was one of the most requested dishes my mom made. It is literally made in a pie dish… only this was a savory pie.
The “crust” was a mixture of spaghetti, butter, parmesan, and eggs. There was a generous layer of ricotta, and then it was topped with ground beef and spaghetti sauce (usually Prego). It was carb-filled, fatty, and delicious.
With the arrival of cooler weather – it went from 80 degrees to 68 degrees in San Diego – I was craving this comfort food classic, so I decided to remake it… with a healthier twist, of course. This is a dish that’s easy and takes less than a half hour to prep and comes out of the oven smelling like perfection.
Lightening up this dish wasn’t hard to do. I used spaghetti squash rather than pasta and used egg whites as the binder. The filling is still ricotta, but I chose the fat-free version, adding oregano and garlic for extra flavor.
Ground beef is easily replaced with ground white meat turkey. I sautéed it with onion, garlic, mushrooms, and a glug of olive oil, for flavor.
My marinara sauce was jarred (homemade is the best, but let’s be real – it’s a busy time of year!), but I chose a low-sodium, organic option rather than mom’s Prego. I also amped up the flavor by adding fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Semi-homemade?
This is made even easier by using the microwave to cook the squash. You could do it in the oven… but why? The microwave is just so fast.
For my vegan/non-dairy friends: I think you could easily modify this. Replace the eggs with a couple of flax eggs, the ricotta with whipped tofu (like this goat cheeze recipe?), and the meat with vegan ground beef or TVP. Someone try it and let me know!
[tasty-recipe id=”18124″]
[Tweet “Spaghetti Squash Pie is a #glutenfree meal the whole family will enjoy!”]
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This recipe was originally published on the blog back in 2013! I’ve been updating posts with new pics and was so happy to have been reminded of this. Vegas even loves it!
Have you ever had spaghetti pie?
What was your favorite meal as a child?
Wow, this spaghetti squash pie looks and sounds AMAZING! Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite things to eat, I can’t wait to make this for my family next week.
I was ecstatic to hear this is glutenfree, as I can’t eat gluten. Going to try your whipped tofu suggestion to replace the cheese since I am allergic to dairy as well.
Thanks for sharing! I love following your blog, You’ve been such an inspiration to me, keep up the great work. 🙂
Thank you so much! I’d love to hear your feedback. 🙂
Uh…. this looks amazing. I have never heard of spaghetti pie but now I want to try it! I don’t know whether I’ll make the squash version or the real version haha
Try both! 🙂
wow! what an interesting idea. I totally want to try this. I wonder if I can still find spaghetti squash somewhere. It looks just like a thick pie crust too!
I can’t think of anything really strange that I ate a kid though I loved vegetables even then and I remember all the other kids at my table recoiling in horror at my eggplant parmigian and steamed broccoli.
Is it hard to find in France? I guess they are more likely to just eat bread? 😉
It’s not hard to find in season, but once the season passes the vegetables and fruits of that period disappear.
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii frickin’ LOVE you!! Like you have NO IDEA how fast my jaw dropped when I opened up your page just now! I have a MAMMOTH of a spaghetti squash on my counter right now just waiting to be made into some SPAGHETTI PIE…and some pancakes too…but that’s another #strangebutgood for another day! 😉
Have you ever tried Chef Ricardo’s pasta sauces from Whole Foods? I bought it once after sampling some at the store and it’s incredible…and the sodium content is pretty decent for a jarred sauce too! Man, I was JUST at WF’s today…should have picked some up! Ha, I just found it in an old post of mine along with some OTHER #strangebutgood pancakes! Lol http://www.kissmybroccoliblog.com/2011/07/10/lasagna-pancakes/
Hmm, I wasn’t really too strange as a child (I know, funny, right?). I was just a really picky eater…but I DID put ketchup on pretty much anything…even steak! Lol
LOL! I friggin’ love you too! 😉 Spaghetti Pie ‘Cakes? I remember those lasagna pacakes! Must try those… maybe tonight…
I haven’t had Ricardo’s… will have to see if my EWF carries it. The sauce I used was from the farmer’s market (suprise, surprise), but it’s the Silver Plate brand which I think is at several major stores too. It’was pretty good, but I always doctor it up.
I was picky too. I didn’t even like ketchup.
This looks really good and as much as I love pasta, I don’t think I’d miss the spaghetti…with all that marinara sauce, meat and cheese, I’d be a happy camper :)!
There is so much other stuff going to that you really don’t miss the pasta!
That looks like the best spaghetti pie I’ve ever seen! Way better than mom’s. 🙂
yep this looks pretty much amazing! spag squash muffins were on my list last weekend, i just didn’t get to them! we’re on the same wavelength!
I love the idea of muffins! I bet you could do these in muffin tins… hmmmm…
Wow this recipe just blows my mind. Your mom is one creative gal..which makes sense that she’s YOUR mom!
Our childhood meals were more like mac n cheese, but I had a single mom of four kids so I can’t really blame her! Experimenting in the kitchen is truly and experiment for me!
She really is! I love her food. 🙂
This doesn’t sound that strange. It does, however, sound good. I always used jarred pasta sauce. It’s just easier. I’m a fan of the Emeril’s brand.
I don’t think I’ve had spaghetti pie…now I really want to make it! Both the original and your version, for comparison’s sake :-p
Comparison is key. 😉
Yes! I used to love spaghetti pie! I made a similar spaghetti squash bake this week with egg and feta, but I’d prefer it had marinara in it… making yours next!
Well I think this looks AWESOME!
Oh my… Do you know how much I miss stuff like this since going GF?? GF spaghetti is like GLUE! I’m so making this asap! You made my day my friend!
I’m so glad! Let me know what you think! I did have a GF pasta from TJ’s once that wasn’t bad. It was at a friend’s house though – not sure which one it was.
NOT STRANGE – STRAIGHT UP AWESOME!! Omg this is a MUST TRY, although I am sure my creation will look like cow shit compared to yours!!!
I’m don’t know wbout that… but I promise it will SMELL better than cow shit. 😉
i thought i was the only weirdo whose parents made pasketti pie (it was big in our house when my sister was like 5). nice reworking of the recipe!
My little sister called it pasketti too! Weird-os unite. 😉
This does not sound strange at all! It sounds amazing! I am totally going to attempt a vegetarian version of this pie :).
Thank you! Please let me know how you like the veg version! 🙂
I am going to try this with some nutritional yeast instead of the ricotta. Looks great.
This is in the oven right now! I can’t wait to try it!
I’m so excited to hear how you liked it!!!
It was awesome! I even ran some over to my mom so she could try it fresh out of the oven. She loved it, too!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it. 🙂
Making this on Thursday…for sure. Do you think TVP would work instead of ground chicken? I have to veggie”fy” it somehow!
For sure! Someone on Instagram did that last night. Let me know what you think!!!
At first I was thinking damn you scuba steve! I had this exact (almost exact) recipe drawn up in my head to create but now I can nix the thinking part and make yours 😉
Haha – great minds. 🙂 I did a Mexican version too – also tasty!
I am absolutely head-over-heels smitten with this recipe and plan to make it with FLAX EGGS when I go home for the Holidays! It’s weird how I tend to explore recipes when I go home… But I don’t do it when I am “at home” (aka – living alone in my apartment) probably because I have far more TIME when I am just putzing around the house BORED at home in the middle of nowhere with my family! lol
Were you thinking of me when you put easy microwave instructions here! 😉
Always! 😉
This is not even that strange and it sounds very much GOOD!!! Or maybe I’m jut really hungry and it’s time for early dinner. Or both. But I love how easy this sounds and interesting concept for spaghetti pie. I am so doing this!
Thanks, Kammie! Let me know if you try it. I’d love to see your take. 🙂
Oh my gosh, your mom used to make spaghetti pie too?! Me tooooo, and I’ve never heard of anyone else who loved that as a kid! Now I totally want some… And haha at your weather comment, got to love our “change” of seasons! Although it is definitely chilly at night and in the mornings now. My pool is 52 degrees these days versus the 90 degrees it was during the summer thanks to those chilly dark temps!
Same here!!! Poeple are like “WTH is that?” LOL!
The chilly nights are nice, but I still miss being able to wear a cozy sweater all day. Oh well… we’re in Tahoe right now and I’m getting my fill of cold!
Spaghetti squash pie is a favorite around here. Last night we made it with eggplant and mozz so good! You can literally put anything in there!
I love eggplant! Alas, Vegas will NOT tolerate it.
68? I went for my run at 8:30 this morning and it was 46!
Ok, im leaving for florida on Wed. but as soon as I get back im making this! I love everything about it. And your pictures look so bright and beautiful in this! My favorite meal as a child……pizza, or my mom would say hot dogs. Apparently I lived off of them for a year straight as a toddler.
YAY! I think you’d love it… maybe even make a pizza version with pepperoni and mozzarella?!
Confession: I ate either a PB&J or a bologna sandwich every single day from lunch, K-5.
This looks like so much fun. Yeah spaghetti pie was definitely not on the radar of us Brits… Nothing as exciting! Spaghetti bolognaise was a common dinner (ground meat, pasta sauce and spaghetti) but that’s about it with that type of pasta. I love the idea of the ricotta in this… Then again when is ricotta never good?
We love bolognese over here too! It’s actually my favorite Italian order – with housemade pasta. Mmmm….