I made this recipe this past weekend and it was a complete bomb! And for company no less! That’s what I get for not following the recipe. It had been a few years since I had made it and I couldn’t remember exactly if I had already made the changes to my computer version of this recipe, or not. Well, apparently I had, because when I added extra stuff it just turned out into a goopy mess! So, I went back to the original recipe and tried it again for just John and me last night. Yum! It does pay to follow the recipe sometimes! (sheepish grin).
I found the original version of this recipe in a magazine over 30 years ago, and I’ve changed this or that over the years and this is my current version. It is a meatless recipe but you can add ground beef or Italian sausage if you desire, or spaghetti sauce with meat. It’s really easy to put together and takes all of about 10 minutes. It’s very kid-friendly and has been one of my go-to recipes for years especially when I still had kids still at home. We love this recipe (when it’s made correctly), and I think you will, too.
I think the original recipe I used was this one from Better Homes and Gardens. But after you compare them you will see a lot of changes in what I use now. Part of the reason is spaghetti sauces were not as readily available back in the late 70s and early 80s as I recall. Once stores started carrying Ragu, Prego and other spaghetti sauces it became easier to use these sauces that already had onions, green pepper, mushrooms, and the other ingredients rather than going with the original recipe and using plain tomato sauce and the other vegetables as indicated above. Anyway, my version is a lot easier and tastier than the original recipe, but I have linked to it so you can compare them and see for yourself.
This is what the casserole looked like fresh out of the oven last night.
It is really best to allow this recipe to set for about 10 minutes before you cut into it. Here’s a look at the inside texture of the casserole.
Here’s another look. This recipe has 3 cheeses!
Here’s a picture of it on a plate.
Here’s one more look at it.
Here’s what I did.
These are the ingredients you will need to mix with the cooked spaghetti.
We prefer thin spaghetti over regular spaghetti. It only takes 6-8 minutes to cook. Once cooked, drain noodles.
Add butter, eggs, and parmesan cheese.
This is what the mixture looks like.
Place the spaghetti noodle mixture in the bottom of a sprayed 9×13″ baking dish. This dish is actually bigger than a 9×13″.
Spread cottage cheese over top of spaghetti noodles. It will just cover the area. Avoid the temptation to use more (as I did in my first batch) or you will end up with a soupy mess! Some may not like the idea of using cottage cheese but it really works with this casserole.
Spread one 32-oz. bottle spaghetti sauce (any flavor) over top of the cottage cheese in the baking dish. Avoid the temptation to use 2 bottles of sauce. Believe me, one is sufficient!
Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top of the casserole. This is a whole lot better with real parmesan cheese rather than the cheap substitute out of a can.
Cover casserole with foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until casserole starts bubbling around the edges. Mine took 40 minutes.
If you look around the outside of the dish on the left you will see the spots where this was bubbling. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of the parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
I baked mine an additional 15 minutes.
Here’s a picture of the spaghetti pie after we had dug into it. Wow, it is fantastic!
Here’s a close up so you can see the texture – lots of cheese, spaghetti, and sauce!
Here’s another look at the casserole after it had been sitting out and several servings removed.
Here’s a close up picture of an individual serving.
Yummy!
Time to eat supper!
Here it is ready to eat. Come join us!
Here’s the recipe.
SPAGHETTI PIE
(Adapted from a magazine recipe, probably Better Homes and Gardens, circa early 1980s)
8-oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained (I used a 12-oz. pkg.)
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup Parmesan cheese (real shredded cheese – not the grated stuff from the can)
½ stick butter or margarine
24-oz. cottage cheese
1 32-oz. jar Prego or Ragu spaghetti sauce (I used Francisco Rinaldi 3-cheese)
shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350°. To cooked spaghetti, add eggs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and butter. Pour into greased 9×13” baking dish. Spread with cottage cheese. Pour spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese until well covered. Bake about 30-40 minutes until casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top and bake about 10-15 minutes longer, until melted. Serves 8-10. If desired, you can add cooked ground beef or Italian sausage, or use spaghetti sauce with meat.
NOTE: This casserole is best if it sits out about 10 minutes to set up before serving.
This is another look at the overall texture.
Here’s an individual serving.
Another view of this gooey, cheesy casserole.
Time to dig in!
You may also like these recipes:
Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
OMG! I tried this recipe this past weekend, my bf and nearly ate the whole thing, it’s delicious! turned out great!
Yes, this has always been one of our favorite recipes. Our kids especially loved it — we have even served this recipe to company before (though not an elegant dish) and everybody raves over it! I’m so glad it turned out for you!
Spaghetti is my absolute favorite pasta. When I make the casserole I usually use some leftover spaghetti from the night before and slap some cheese on top.
I like the fact that you layer in cottage cheese, which I have never tried before in this dish. That looks so delicious. I think I need some Spaghetti now. 
It really is great!
This looks so tasty! I like cottage cheese, but I prefer ricotta. Do you think ricotta would work in this case?
Yes you could make it with ricotta. I know cottage cheese seems weird but it works with this recipe. I would normally not use it either. This is the only recipe I will use it in like this. I think because of the texture of cottage cheese it kind of incorporates into the sauce & noodles, whereas ricotta will stay on top & not absorb into the other ingredients. You may end up tasting the ricotta more than you want to that way. I would give it a try each way & see what you think. It’s really not all that expensive. This is so good though, that the two of you will eat half the pan in one sitting!!! Enjoy!
Sent from my iPhone
It looks great! Glad it turned out.
It reminds me of when we make, but we call it bakes spaghetti.
Making me hungry!
Bonnie
Didn’t want you to feel left out, Bonnie. All of us have bombs every now and again!!! Hehehehe
haha
That’s for sure.