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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I loved this! So good. I did have to leave out the broccoli, as my husband won’t eat it. Also substituted some mozzarella for the Fontina. I live in a rural area, and I’ve never seen it in a store. I will definitely be making this again!
My daughter made this for our family this weekend. She made it earlier in the week and froze the whole thin unbaked. She took it out of the freezer the night before we ate and popped it in the oven and it turned out perfectly. So good!
Great recipe. I used hot turkey sausage and broccoli rabe. It makes a beautiful presentation; definitely company worthy!
This is another wonderful recipe. Everybody loved it. I brought the leftovers to work and my coworker enjoyed it so much she made it the next day for her family.
This recipe is a winner. Great flavors and presentation. I used Havarti cheese in place of the Fontina since I had it on hand. This will go in my family favorites file
This was easy to make and so delicious! The only change I made was to use turkey sausage instead of pork. The kids ate the leftovers after school for days and are already asking me to make it again. Great recipe!
Any ideas about making this vegetarian? Maybe with meaty mushrooms and extra garlic/spices?
I think that could work; just make sure you saute the mushrooms in oil and, as you said, add extra garlic and herbs. I’ve love to hear how it turns out!
I made it with Gardein’s Beefless Ground and it came out great. You’ll want to spice up the ground, but it worked great for me. Also, while I was making this, I thought there was no way everything would fit in the pan, but somehow it did. Next time I think I will cook more water out of the broccoli-onion-ground mixture so it sets up firmer, but other than that (which is on me), this was 5 stars.
Made this last night. Everyone enjoyed it however the top got really crusty after baking then broiling and did not resemble your picture. I ended up removing some of the crispy black noodles on top. Is it suppposed to get a crusty top?
Hi Stacey, Was it already browned before you broiled it or did it burn under the broiler?
Yes, mine did too – many noodles were crispy and black before putting it under the broiler. While the cheese topping made a nice crust, I wondered if I should have loosely covered it with foil while it was baking?
Yes Amy, I think it’s a smart move to cover it with foil if it’s starting to brown more than you’d like. I just added it to the recipe.
I made this last night for company. It was a success! It looked beautiful, just like the pictures. I used hot Italian sousage which gave it a lot of flavor. The prep time was more like an hour but still worth making. Definitely a keeper.
I do not like sausage. Do you think the dish would lose much if I used ground beef?
Hi Elizabeth, I think it’d work well with ground beef – but I might increase the seasoning a bit to make up for the missing flavor.
Hi Jen. Looking forward to trying this out for a party Saturday… I’m in Tunisia though so Italian sausage isn’t an option. Will go for ground beef as you suggested. Any pointers on twicking the seasoning ? (Should I add cumin? Paprika?) Thanks in advance!
Hi Marine, I would suggest adding Italian seasoning, like oregano, basil, and more garlic. Hope you enjoy!