This is a family recipe, with a few things modified, like the addition of pancetta, for instance, because I’m rebellious and creative like that. My mother makes this dish quite often, and it’s one of my favorites. Some folks want mac and cheese on a cold winter’s day, but me, I’ll take some spaghetti pie.
Food is a language in and of itself. In this dish there’s a lot of memory, my family, the country we originated from, and the various ways in which we say, I love you. Here, mangia, is just as strong as, Come here, let me give you a hug.
Although this dish is plenty salted just by the ingredients, I like to add some extra sea salt on top of a piping hot slice and enjoy the heat and melty sea salt swell without guilt. I use clean, wholesome ingredients to elevate the recipe—grass-fed butter, high-quality semolina pasta, farm-fresh eggs, and so on. These things matter, and they take what could be a dish devoid of any health benefits and make it full of body-feeding good fats and protein. Plus, it nourishes your spirit, which makes it a kind of magical recipe.
Feed this dish to people you love. They’ll feel it.
What You’ll Need:
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 stick butter (more is fine, depending on taste) and extra for greasing the pan
8 eggs (or a little less, depending on taste), beaten
About 1/4 pound grated parmesan cheese
About 6 ounces of pancetta (optional, but it really adds depth of flavor)
Black pepper
What to Do:
Preheat the oven to 380 degrees
Cook the spaghetti a bit less than al dente. (It will continue cooking in the oven.)
Drain all the water except for about an inch or two.
Add the butter to the pasta and combine.
Let the pasta cool before moving onto the next step.
Remove the skin from the pancetta and dice into 1/4 inch cubes (if you’re using pre-packaged pancetta, skip this step.)
Brown the pancetta in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
Drain and set aside.
When the pasta is cool, add some of the cheese and pepper to the eggs and beat.
Add the egg mixture, the remaining cheese and pepper to the pasta. Mix well to combine.
Add the pancetta, and again mix.
Grease a 14 x 10 casserole pan with butter.
Add the spaghetti mixture to the pan.
Add a few pats of butter to the top if you’d like.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and pieces of spaghetti are crunchy, which honestly are the best parts. :)
You can serve this dish piping hot or cool.
Buon appetito, amici!
Spaghetti Pie—a Cozy, Comfort Family Recipe
I love your use of “clean, wholesome ingredients” in ordinary, hardy meals. There is more to healthy eating than having a salad. I will def be trying this it sounds delicious!