Spaghetti Squash Pie
Ingredient prep
1 hr. 30 mins.
Cook time
40 mins.
Total time
2 hrs. 10 mins.
You don't need to do your ingredient prep before starting the recipe--it's all included in the instructions, to be done while the squash cooks.
By: Tessa
Dish Type: Lunch,Dinner
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
- Butter, oil, or cooking spray for the pan
- 1 large or 2 smaller spaghetti squash (4 to 5 lbs.)
- Kosher or sea salt
- 2½ T olive oil
- 1 large zucchini
- ½ C finely grated parmesan cheese (1½ oz.)
- 2 - 2½ C coarsely grated mozzarella or fontina cheese (1/2 lb.)
- 3 C chunky and/or thick marinara sauce (such as mushroom marinara)
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 C ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs (2 works if you’re trying to cut back)
- Ground black pepper
- Fresh basil (optional)
Make It
- Preheat oven to 375 (F). Oil, butter, or spray a standard pie plate or 2 quart baking dish (for closer to 5 pounds of squash, use the 2 quart dish). Cut squash crosswise into four equally thick rounds and lay on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt (no oil) and bake for an hour, flipping over halfway through.
- Coat the bottom of a medium skillet thinly with olive oil, and heat thoroughly over medium high. Add all the zucchini that will fit in a single layer, and fry on one side for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip over and fry on the other side, remove to paper towels to drain, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat the process, adding more oil to the pan as needed, until all the zucchini are fried. Set aside.
- For a very firm pie, place tomato sauce in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and stir once or twice, to drain excess water.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in the skillet from the zucchini over medium heat. Add onion and cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and moderately browned. Remove to a large mixing bowl. When onions have cooled slightly, add half the parmesan, the ricotta, eggs, a teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and stir together.
- When the squash is tender and has cooled slightly, run a fork around the inside of the rounds to shred it into “noodles”. Place squash in a colander over the sink or a bowl, and press out as much water as you can—there will be quite a bit! To really dry out the squash, spray the baking sheet with olive oil spray and spread the noodles in an even layer, then heat in a 250 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Add squash noodles to the ricotta mixture and stir to combine very well. Spread squash mixture into the prepared pie plate.
- Top squash with an even layer of fried zucchini, then gently spread all the sauce over the zucchini. Top with the fontina or mozzarella, the remaining parmesan, and a pinch of black pepper. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch overflow) at 375 for 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. Increase oven temp to 425 and bake 10 more minutes, to brown the top layer of cheese. Cool briefly, then cut into slices and serve with freshly sliced basil.
