Who could resist a dish called "Spaghetti Pie"?? I certainly couldn't, although growing up in Italy I never encountered anything remotely like a spaghetti pie. Let's just say that it is a bit like mac n' cheese with some greens thrown in and fancier cheese...
I came across this recipe at Smitten Kitchen, but since my local grocery store had no pecorino or fontina cheeses, I made mine with a combination of raclette, mozzarella and parmesan. No harm done, recipes have infinite variations. If you would like to try the original version, you can find it here: https://bit.ly/2BwSXdb
Otherwise, read on.
photo: The black Eva serving plate always makes food look so appetising! Unique dinner plates at our online shop.
INGREDIENTS:
Butter for greasing a spring-form pie plate
1/2 pound broccoli rabe
1 pound dried spaghetti
1.5 cups milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 3 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
8 ounces raclette cheese, rinds removed, cut into small cubes
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
Heat oven to 400°F (~205° C).
Butter a 9-inch spring form pan and wrap the outside of the springform base tightly in aluminum foil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If using broccoli rabe, add it to the pot and boil for 2 minutes, then fish it out and drain it well. Set aside.
Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until it is very al dente, as the spaghetti will continue cooking in the oven. Drain well and let cool slightly.
Dry the broccoli rabe well and mince into small bits.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with salt and pepper. Stir in everything but 1/2 cup of each cheese. Add spaghetti and toss to coat.
Pour into prepared spring form and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 40 minutes or a bit longer, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. If the top of your pie browns too quickly before the center is set, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time.
Remove from oven, cut around the edge of the spring form with a butter knife to separate the pie from edges. Open the spring form and transfer the base onto a serving plate.
Serve hot.
