Our little family really does not do hotdishes (or ‘casseroles’ as everyone else might call them). It probably has a direct tie to Andrew’s abundant visits to Minnesota as a young person. However, when it comes time to come up with something to bring to a larger family gathering, what we might find exciting (particularly myself) is more often than not a little [or a lot] outside of everyone else’s comfort zone.
This year I came across a recipe for spaghetti pie that was made with mushrooms and spinach. I would have totally brushed off the idea as a dreaded hotdish if it weren’t for the quickly approaching Thanksgiving holiday. With that in mind, I knew that mushrooms and spinach would probably be less-than favored additions for some family members. I decided instead to go with angel hair and the classic pesto ingredients, leaving the pine nuts whole, and simply rough chopping the basil for good flavor and texture throughout. At the last minute I added sun-dried tomatoes for some extra color and flavor rounding. The dish was a total hit!
So, I guess at this point I can no longer say our little family never makes hotdishes….
Whole Pesto, Angel Hair, and Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti Pie
By: Semiserious Chefs
Makes: 1 large pie*
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup packed chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 garlic cloves – minced
- 1/4 t black pepper
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir-in the angel hair pasta. Let boil for about 3 minutes, until the noodles are a little under-done, not quite al dente. Strain.
- Whisk together the egg and milk and toss with the noodles.
- Add the 3 cheeses, pine nuts, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and pepper. Mix well.
- Pour the noodle mixture into a prepared pie pan.*
- Bake at 425°F for approximately 25 minutes, until warm throughout with a golden crust. Removve from pan, slice, and serve.
*Half a pound of noodles makes a very large single pie. It can just as easily be distributed among 2 pans for shorter pies. Just keep an eye on them, expecting a shorter cooking time. If you are cooking for a crowd simply double the recipe and bake it in several pans or even one large dish (as I did in the pictures above). That larger dish will need to bake for 40-50 minutes.
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