There are probably hundreds of recipes out there, but that day the one they offered was from Southern Living. It was sort of a cross between spaghetti and lasagna in terms of the ingredients use. Of course I had to mix things up a bit to both use what I had in my refrigerator, and to try to make it a bit healthier.
One change I made was to lower the carbs by reducing the amount of pasta from 8 ounces to 5 ounces. I replaced the missing pasta with 2 spiralized zucchinis. I didn't have Italian Sausages, but I did have a package of Freybe Smoked turkey and chicken sausage I bought at Costco, so I used 2 from the package. They don't crumble, so I quartered them lengthwise and then cross sliced into small pieces. Lastly - I used a store bought sauce instead of making one from scratch, but doctored it up a bit.
Most interesting was the cooking technique. You place a cast iron pan in the heated oven until hot, then brush all surfaces with oil, add the noodle mix, spread the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Then it goes back in the oven. This is the first time I have made a recipe where you heated the pan in the the oven before filling it.
Glen, I and one neighbor all gave it a thumbs up. It's not fancy, but it is tasty and filling. And no one could tell I replaced almost half of the pasta with spiralized zucchini. Enjoy!
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Reduced Carb Easy Spaghetti Pie
4 meal size servings, could do 6 with a sides such as garlic bread and salad
4 meal size servings, could do 6 with a sides such as garlic bread and salad
Ingredients -
5 oz. Dry spaghetti, broken in thirds for easy eating
2 T Vegetable oil, divided
2 C Coarsely chopped mushrooms (or 1 large red bell pepper)
1/2 Large sweet onion diced
2 Mild Italian sausages, casings removed (about 8 oz.)
While pasta cooks, heat 1T of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, chopped mushrooms, sausage, and garlic. Sauté stirring frequently until just cooked. Add the spaghetti sauce,1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well to combine and remove from heat.
In a small bowl, add the egg, ricotta, 1/2 C mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Mix well until fully combined. Add just 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce, all cooked noodles noodles, and the spiralized zucchini to the ricotta mixture. Toss until fully combined.
Carefully remove the heated cast iron pan and set on stop of the stove. Add the remaining 1 T of oil and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly on bottom and up sides. Pour the noodle and cheese mix into the skillet and spread in an even layer. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the mixture and spread until the top is covered. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 C mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes , then let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
1/2 Large sweet onion diced
2 Mild Italian sausages, casings removed (about 8 oz.)
Note: I used 2 Freybe Smoked turkey and chicken sausage
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 C Store spaghetti sauce such as Prego or Ragu
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend, divided
1/2 tsp Black pepper, divided
1 Large egg
1/2 C Ricotta cheese, reduced fat if you can find it
2 Med. zucchini’s spiralized about 15-16 oz.
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 C Store spaghetti sauce such as Prego or Ragu
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend, divided
1/2 tsp Black pepper, divided
1 Large egg
1/2 C Ricotta cheese, reduced fat if you can find it
2 Med. zucchini’s spiralized about 15-16 oz.
Note: I cross cut a bit after spiralizing to help it mix well
1C Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions -
Preheat oven to 375. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet in the oven (keep and eye on it. I actually put mine in the over half way through the time it took to cook the noodles). Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain.
1C Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions -
Preheat oven to 375. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet in the oven (keep and eye on it. I actually put mine in the over half way through the time it took to cook the noodles). Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain.
While pasta cooks, heat 1T of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, chopped mushrooms, sausage, and garlic. Sauté stirring frequently until just cooked. Add the spaghetti sauce,1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well to combine and remove from heat.
In a small bowl, add the egg, ricotta, 1/2 C mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Mix well until fully combined. Add just 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce, all cooked noodles noodles, and the spiralized zucchini to the ricotta mixture. Toss until fully combined.
Carefully remove the heated cast iron pan and set on stop of the stove. Add the remaining 1 T of oil and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly on bottom and up sides. Pour the noodle and cheese mix into the skillet and spread in an even layer. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the mixture and spread until the top is covered. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 C mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes , then let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
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