A while ago, Joanna told me about the coolest thing…

Last year, Anton’s elementary school held a fundraiser called Eat Pie Shop (!) where they set up tables with different kinds of homemade pies — sweet ones, like chocolate, apple, crumbles, etc., as well as savory ones, like frittata and quiche. Also included in this glorious-sounding spread? A spaghetti pie — which, Joanna told me, everyone went bananas over.

And not just the kids! The adults, too. Have you all heard of this? It’s exactly what it sounds like — tomatoey, cheesy spaghetti that is baked in a pie dish, then served in wedges, in all its crispy-edged glory.

So, it made complete sense that when I was flipping through Jessie Sheehan’s new book Salty Cheesy Herby Crispy: Snackable Bakes, I stopped short at her recipe for Spaghetti Pie With Cheesy Marinara. Sheehan — who hosts the Cherry Bombe podcast “She’s My Cherry Pie” and pops up all over Instagram with her cheerful signature greeting “Peeps!” — is fun personified. Her book is all about the quick-and-easy (the 100 recipes in her book call on basic pantry staples and come together in less than an hour) and the playful, like that Spaghetti Pie, but also Everything Bagel and Cream Cheese Snacking Bread, Jalapeño Cheddar Shortbread Buttons, and things like popovers, hand pies, and snacky bite-size things that make a party a party.

Baked Spaghetti Pie With Cheesy Marinara
From Salty Cheesy Herby Crispy: Snackable Bakes, by Jessie Sheehan
Makes one 8-inch round pie

Says Jessie: Wrap the spaghetti in a clean dish towel (which will prevent you from spraying your kitchen with tiny broken noodles) and break the spaghetti into thirds before boiling it, as it’ll cook faster (in only 5 minutes!) and the pie will be easier to slice and eat.

olive oil for brushing the pan
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (88 g) finely grated Parmesan, divided, plus more for serving
2 large eggs
1½ cups (382 g) store–bought or homemade marinara sauce, plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ to ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ to ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
1¼ cups (125 g) shredded low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella, divided, plus more for sprinkling
⅓ cup (76 g) ricotta
¾ pound (340 g) spaghetti, cooked until al dente

Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8-inch round cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Brush the parchment with additional oil and sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with ¼ cup (25 g) of the Parmesan to coat. 

Lightly whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the marinara, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, ½ cup (50 g) of the Parmesan, ¾ cup (75 g) of the mozzarella, and the ricotta. Fold in the cooked spaghetti with a flexible spatula and transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan, pressing down with your spatula to compress it. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cake pan from the oven, sprinkle the “pie” with the remaining ½ cup (50g) of mozzarella, and return the pan to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes more, or until the cheese is nicely melted. If you want your cheese bronzed and slightly crispy, place the pie under the broiler briefly, keeping a watchful eye, about 2 minutes or so.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan and inverting the “pie” onto a serving plate. (You may need to give the bottom of the cake pan a few firm taps to help it release.) Let it rest for 5 to 10 more minutes, then serve the “pie” in wedges, passing extra Parmesan and sauce, if desired, at the table.

Would you make this? What other fun dinners do you recommend?

P.S. Five-ingredient dinners, and a pasta sauce taste test.

(Photo by Nico Schinco.)