Capellini Pie

The more common version of this recipe is called Spaghetti Pie.  But spaghetti is not what I had on hand for this occasion when I needed to use up an over-production of Angel Hair pasta I made several days before.  I had some jarred Italian sauce left, so I improvised to make a pie out of what I'm guessing was about 4 cups of cooked capellini.  Most recipes will tell you to use 6 oz of uncooked spaghetti.  Generally speaking, 2 ounces of dried pasta will yield a cup of cooked pasta.

Spaghetti Pie, or in this case concocted with the smaller, more delicate capellini, often called Angel Hair pasta, is something of a lazy man's lasagna.  But this manner of preparation provides a slightly different texture when the pasta is made to mimic a pie crust.  The uncovered edges of the pasta will take on a crunchy texture, which is delicious juxtaposed to the soft, creamy mouthfeel of the underlying noodles.

Say what you will about jarred Italian sauces, and to be sure, I personally make a better one by far, found here, but there are a couple of brands being sold today that are very good and as a matter of convenience, they're unbeatable when you're looking to keep kitchen production time to a minimum.  We've grown fond of three brands: Rao's Homemade Bolognese, DeLallo Pomodoro Fresco, and Lucini Rustic Tomato Basil. But use whatever sauce you like.  

Some recipes don't call for a jarred sauce, but use a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 6 oz can of tomato paste, blended together with a teaspoon of minced garlic and dried oregano.  There are also recipes that call for ricotta cheese, but cottage cheese will work just as well, which I used on this occasion.

As you can tell, there is a lot of latitude to adjust and vary the ingredients and style of pasta you like, but they all require a Pyrex glass or oven-proof ceramic 9" pie dish.  The sides of a pie dish are fluted which gives a pie its distinctive shape, and is wholly necessary for the sought-after outcome of this recipe.

After the fact as I was posting this recipe, My Number One Fan found a recipe card printed with a copyright of 1980 from Better Homes & Gardens that is, with very little variation, this recipe. And here I thought I was doing something original....

Ingredients
4 cups cooked Angel Hair pasta (8 oz uncooked)
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained (like, Green Giant)
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tbsp garlic, finely minced
1 pound ground beef
1-1/2 cups jarred Italian pasta sauce (or substitute 1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes, 1 6-oz can tomato paste, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp minced garlic, blended together)
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (like, the Kraft Green can)
1 cup (8 oz) small curd cottage cheese (you can substitute Ricotta cheese)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
olive oil for cooking
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste

The Recipe
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

If your pasta was cooked previously and coming out of the refrigerator, loosen and warm it up by running hot tap water over the pasta through a colander.  Allow it to drain.  Otherwise, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package to al dente, and drain well.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté the onion and green bell pepper until the onions begin to caramelize, about ten minutes.  Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic, and sauté another 3-4 minutes.  Remove the ingredients to a platter.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and sauté the ground beef until all the pink color is gone, about five minutes.  Add the onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes back into the skillet.  Add the jarred tomato sauce and stir well to combine all the ingredients. Season with salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper.  Heat through, then set aside.

In the meantime, combine the two beaten eggs, melted butter and half the Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl.  Add the the pasta and toss well with a pair of tongs to ensure the noodles are all well coated.

Mix the cottage cheese with the remaining half of the Parmesan cheese in another mixing bowl and season with salt & pepper.

Treat the pie dish with non-stick spray, and then add the pasta.  Using the back of a soup spoon, press and shape the pasta to cover the sides of the pie dish the way dough would look if you were making an actual pie.

Spread the cottage and Parmesan cheese mixture over the bottom of the pie.  Then, add the beef  mixture on top and flatten out with the back of spoon until even.

Bake uncovered for thirty minutes.  Add the mozzarella cheese on top of the pie, and bake another ten minutes.  Let the pie stand for five minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.