Feature Recipe | Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti pie is a delicious ‘hybrid’ of my two favourite Italian-inspired dishes: lasagna meets spaghetti and meatballs. There are many variations of spaghetti pie out there the basics are a bottom “crust” layer composed of spaghetti tossed with butter and parmesan cheese, a second layer made with white cheese (typically ricotta or cottage cheese), a third layer of meat-based tomato sauce and a top layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

I’ve been making spaghetti pie since Janik and I started dating some 10+ years ago when it was a handy meal to use up leftover cooked noodles. The original  recipe called for a “crust” made by coating spaghetti with plenty of butter, a few eggs and aged parmesan cheese. The white cheese layer called for ricotta while the sauce layer was a bolognese-style sauce. The pie was topped off with a blend of shredded mozzarella and parmesan (the rich, savoury kind of course). Today I share my plant-based twist on this family favourite…

Using our simple hemp seed-based parmesan cheese adds a tender crunch and nutty flavour to the noodle crust that is simply delicious. This recipe calls for flax eggs in lieu of regular eggs since I wanted a good binding agent, but also something with a neutral flavour (to let the flavour of the vegan butter and parmesan shine!) It worked wonderfully . The tofu-based ricotta is unbelievably simple to make and complements the acidity of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the parmesan. The spaghetti sauce is a Bolognese-style sauce with the perfect balance of tart meets smooth.

Have I teased your senses for some Italian fare? Check out these popular pasta and cheese lovin’ favourites:
Creamy Alfredo Sauce
Pasta Carbonara
Italian Wedding Soup with TVP Meatballs

Enjoy~

Ingredients

Hemp Parmesan Cheese (yields approx. 3/4 cup)

• ½ cup hemp seeds, raw & shelled
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Tofu Ricotta

• 1 pkg/350g silken tofu
• 2 Tbsp light-bodied oil (eg canola, avocado or grapeseed)
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried sage
• Spinach leaves, fresh (optional)
• Few pinches each of salt & pepper

Simple Savoury Spaghetti Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Handful basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
• 1 pkg/340 g Yves Veggie Cuisine Ground Round
• 1.5 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• 1.5 cups tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cane sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Noodle & Cheese Crust

• 1 lb cooked pasta (still hot!)
• 1/3 cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup flax egg
• 1/2 cup Hemp Parmesan Cheese
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

This & That

• 2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds
• Olive oil (to drizzle)
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Method

Prep It

1/Prepare 1/2 cup flax egg: Combine 2.5 Tbsp ground flax seed in ½ cup warm water. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to thicken.
2/Prepare one batch of Hemp Parmesan Cheese: Add ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture just starts to combine. Don’t over process — the cheese should be granular and not a paste!
3/Prepare one batch of Tofu Ricotta: Add silken tofu, oil (of choice), nutritional yeast and dry spices (garlic powder through thyme) to a high-powered blender. Process until smooth; set aside.
4/Prepare one batch of Simple Savoury Spaghetti Sauce:
–Add a glug of olive oil to a skillet on medium-low heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, basil leaves and a pinch of salt. Sauté until fragrant. 
–Add ground round, vegetable bouillon powder and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the skillet. Sauté until the ground round is nicely browned and starts to turn crispy.
–Add tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, cane sugar and water to skillet. Cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if required; set aside.
5/Prepare Noodle & Cheese Crust: 
-In a large mixing bowl combine room temperature butter with just-cooked spaghetti noodles (the butter should melt).
-Add the reserved 1/2 cup flax egg, 1/2 cup hemp parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt to the mixing bowl. Stir to coat the pasta. Set aside.
6/Preheat oven to 350F.

Assemble It

1/Transfer the Noodle & Cheese Crust mixture to a pie pan or deep baking dish. Press the mixture to form the bottom “crust” of your pie.
2/Spread Simple Savoury Spaghetti Sauce over the crust.
3/Spread the Tofu Ricotta over the sauce layer. Top with Mozzarella Shreds.
4/Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup Hemp Parmesan Cheese over cheese shreds. Gently drizzle olive oil over the pie. Add a few pinches of salt.

Make It

Bake (uncovered) for 30-60 minutes or until the pie is set and edges are golden.