Gail Simmons’ Epic Spaghetti Pie
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This impressive spaghetti pie, packed with broccoli, Italian sausage, and a jaw-dropping amount of cheese, is a total crowd pleaser—perfect for leftovers, too!
Featured on the cover of her beautiful new cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes From A Life of Adventurous Eating, Gail Simmons’ spaghetti pie with broccoli and Italian sausage is, according to my husband, one of the best things I’ve ever made. EVER. I could take offense since it’s not even my own recipe, but honestly, I totally agree with him. It’s similar to lasagna or baked ziti, only way more impressive to serve. Fair warning: the recipe calls for a jaw-dropping amount of cheese, but trust me—it’s worth it.
Gail writes, “Spaghetti pie is a big affair, impressive in both stature and ingredients, and meant to feed a crowd. You don’t have to wait for your next party to make it, though. If you don’t have enough eaters to tackle it, there’s a bonus: slices of the savory pie make the best leftovers of all time.” The recipe calls for a springform pan, which is a great investment if you don’t already have one, but you could also use a large baking dish and serve it lasagna-style if needed.
“We make this about twice a month. This is a favorite of ours. Even the leftovers are amazing.”
What You’ll Need To Make Spaghetti Pie
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness and depth of flavor to the sautéed vegetable and sausage mixture.
- Yellow onion and garlic: The aromatic base, infusing the pie with savory, well-rounded flavor.
- Broccoli or broccoli rabe: Brings texture, vibrant color, and earthy flavor, balancing the richness of the cheese and sausage. Broccoli rabe has thinner stems smaller florets than broccoli, and a more bitter, leafy flavor.
- Italian sausage: Provides savory, spiced depth to the pie; choose hot or sweet depending on your preference.
- Tomato paste: Concentrates the tomato flavor, adding richness and depth to the sausage mixture.
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes: Introduces a burst of freshness into the sauce, balancing the hearty ingredients with bright acidity.
- Spaghetti: The sturdy base of the pie, it holds up well when combined with the other ingredients and baked.
- Whole milk: Adds creaminess and moisture, helping to bind the ingredients together. Use half and half for a bit more richness.
- Eggs: Essential for structure, the eggs help the pie set as it bakes, making it easy to slice and serve.
- Sharp cheddar cheese and fontina cheese: These cheeses melt beautifully, adding a creamy, tangy richness to the pie.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: Adds a salty, nutty finish; used in both the filling and the topping for extra flavor.
- Fresh sage: Lends a fragrant, earthy note that complements the savory, cheesy pie.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the broccoli and 1 tablespoon of water and cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sausage.
Cook, breaking the meat into small bits, until cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Then add the crushed drained tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. (Note that it’s best to use canned whole tomatoes and crush them yourself over diced tomatoes, since diced canned tomatoes contain a firming agent, calcium chloride, that makes them slow to break down.)
Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any bits from the pan, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti just until very al dente, 7 to 8 minutes (look for a white spot in the center when you bite into a strand). Drain the pasta (do not rinse) and reserve the pot.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Combine the spaghetti and milk mixture in the pot; add in the sausage-broccoli mixture, cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan.
Stir until well combined.
Butter a springform pan that has been wrapped in aluminum foil (wrapping the pan in foil protects against leakage). Transfer the pasta mixture into the pan and, using a spatula, smooth the top.
Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden and bubbling, about 35 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the pie with the sage and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven and run a knife around the inside of the pan. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes, then release and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into slices and serve warm.
Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions
The pie can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time, then baked right before serving. The unbaked pie can also be frozen for up to a month. The day before serving, remove the pie from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.
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Gail Simmons' Epic Spaghetti Pie
This impressive spaghetti pie, packed with broccoli, Italian sausage, and a jaw-dropping amount of cheese, is a total crowd pleaser—perfect for leftovers, too!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¾ lb broccoli or broccoli rabe, trimmed, stems and florets chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, tomatoes crushed by hand
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- ¾ cup whole milk (I substituted half & half)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ cups (8 oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2½ cups (8 oz) grated fontina cheese
- 1½ cups (3 oz) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- Special equipment: 9½-inch springform pan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set a rack in the middle position. Butter a 9 ½-inch springform pan. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil, crimping the foil against the outer edges to tightly seal.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and 1 tablespoon of water and cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small bits, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the crushed drained tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any bits from the pan, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add salt to the boiling water and cook the spaghetti just until very al dente, 7 to 8 minutes (look for a white spot in the center when you bite into a strand). Drain the pasta (do not rinse) and reserve the pot.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Combine the spaghetti and milk mixture in the pot; add in the sausage-broccoli mixture, cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan; stir until well combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared pan. Using a spatula, smooth the top. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden and bubbling, about 35 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if the top starts to get too brown, cover with foil.)
- Remove the pan from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the pie with the sage and remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the inside of the pan. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes, then release and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into slices and serve warm.
- Make Ahead: The pie can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time, then baked right before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The unbaked pie can be frozen for up to a month. The day before serving, remove the pie from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 642
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Sodium: 862 mg
- Cholesterol: 153 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We make this about twice a month. This is a favorite of ours. Even the left overs are amazing. I do add pepperoni on top, really adds to the flavor. Thank you Gail for this recipe. Just love it!
Linda Smith
Hi! Looking forward to making this, but after trying all the sausages at my go to grocery store, I’ve realized sausage is just not their strong suit, so plan to hit the store down the street that tends to carry more varieties. What brand did you use?
Thank you!
Hi Shannon, Johnsonville is a good brand and widely available. Hope that helps!
I loved this recipe! I used a big casserole dish, covered it loosely with foil while baking, but broiled it uncovered for the last few minutes. I mistakenly didn’t drain the tomatoes, but it didn’t matter because the liquid simmered off on the stove. Really cheesy and full of flavor. Will do the springform pan next time.
Can I use homemade spaghetti sauce instead of squeezing the whole tomatoes and if yes how much should I use?
I use your recipes all the time and love them!
Hi Carol, you could use your own spaghetti sauce, but because your sauce is likely flavored with seasonings and aromatics, you may want to cut back on that in the recipe. Hope it comes out nicely! 😊
My family can’t eat pork. Do you think I could substitute with an Italian turkey sausage or would that make it too dry?
Turkey sausage is perfectly fine to use — enjoy!
I plan to make this ahead and freeze to give to someone. If I didn’t want to freeze it in a spring form pan to give away what would you suggest?
Hi Rachel, I assume you’ll freeze this before baking? Do you plan to have the recipient bake it?
Yes! I plan to freeze before backing! Wouldn’t you think that would be the best way? I did buy some aluminum/foil pans that are about 7×9 and fairly deep. Will that work?
As long as it’s pretty deep, I think it should work. If you find it’s getting too full, you could divide it into 2 of the pans.
Hello,
We like the spaghetti pie because it is so handy to freeze in advance of having houseguest. I’m wondering if “pork breakfast sausage” is the same as ” sweet Italian sausage”? The butcher gave my husband something labeled “pork breakfast sausage.”- We live in a small town, and maybe that was as close as he could get, but as a mostly vegan eater, I’m trying to understand sausage a little better. I did use it in the recipe and I expect it will be just fine. Thank you.
P.S. We really like the foccacia and the Big Italian Salad and dressing with this spaghetti pie. The accompaniment suggestions which you provide are very helpful.
Hi Ellen, I believe that the only difference between the two types of sausage is slightly different seasonings. Glad to hear you find the pairing suggestions helpful! 🙂
Would a different shaped pasta work in this recipe? Like penne?
I haven’t tried it with any other pasta shapes, but I suspect it will work.
What would be a good substitute for the Fontina Cheese?
Hi Caleb, you can replace it with whole milk mozzarella. Enjoy!