Recipe Rescue: Spaghetti Pie

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 27th, 2009

spag-pie-in-casserole-dish-1751If you happen to have some free time on your hands and have an opportunity to “google” celebrity chef, Emeril Lagasse, you’ll get about 320,000 results.  Let’s face it: the guy is uber famous.  Now google us, “Meal Makeover Moms,” and see what you get. Okay, so we’re not nearly as famous as Emeril (about 8,070 results come up), but we’re happy to report that we do have something Emeril does not:  a healthier version of his spaghetti pie!

Jennifer T., a mother of two from Clarksville, Maryland who loves to cook, sent us Emeril’s spaghetti pie recipe and asked us to give it a healthy makeover.  “We love this recipe but it tasted ‘unhealthy,’” Jennifer told us.  Jennifer wasn’t crazy about the 3/4 cup sliced pepperoni (that’s about 3 – 4 ounces), or the whole milk and full-fat cheese.  The dish also called for green bell peppers and mushrooms – nutritious, yes, but not always the most kid friendly.

Jennifer and kids with Spaghetti Pie ingredients

For our Recipe Rescue, we cut the pepperoni to just one ounce (and made it optional), switched to 1% lowfat milk and lowfat cheese, and used a whole wheat blend pasta instead of white (we like Barilla Plus because it’s made with ground flaxseed, chickpeas, and oats).  Jennifer was pleasantly surprised by the switch.  “I don’t typically like whole wheat pasta because it tastes too wheat-y, but I liked the Barilla Plus. I thought my daughter would know it was multi grain but she didn’t notice it.”

Julia shredding zucchini

One of the biggest changes we made was the addition of mild-flavored zucchini which went over very well with Jennifer and the kids (and her hubby).  Jennifer’s daughter, 4 ½-year old Julia, helped prepare the entire meal.  She shredded the zucchini in a food processor and had an opportunity to take a few bites. “Julia can be picky. She’s often reluctant to try new things. But helping motivated her to taste the zucchini, and she really liked it.” Even 22-month old Evan loved the new dish. “He has recently become more picky, but he ate the pie and even had leftovers the next day!”

Here’s our lightened-up version of Emeril’s spaghetti pie, a recipe Jennifer says she plans to add to her permanent recipe file:

Slice of Silly Spaghetti Pie

Silly Spaghetti & Zucchini Pie
Makes 5 to 6 Servings

  • 8 ounces dried whole wheat blend spaghetti (we like Barilla Plus)
  • 1 cup pasta sauce
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • One 10 or 12-ounce medium zucchini, unpeeled and shredded (about 2 packed cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup preshredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 ounce sliced pepperoni (about 10 slices), coarsely chopped, optional
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk
  • 1/4 cup grated P armesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan.  Stir in the pasta sauce and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the zucchini and basil, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes.  Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir the cooked zucchini, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni as desired into the pasta until well combined.  Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish (preferably round or oval).

4. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk.  Pour the egg mixture over the top of the spaghetti.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on top.

5. Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let stand about five minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 310 calories, 12g fat (4.5g saturated), 350mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 20g protein, 20% vitamin A, 35% vitamin C, 25% calcium, 8% iron — Emeril’s recipe = 440 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated), and 2 g fiber

Good nutrition is a big priority for Jennifer. She prefers eating at home and places a lot of importance on getting more fruits and vegetables into her family’s diet.  We hope this new spaghetti pie helps her to meet that goal.  To view more Spaghetti Pie photos, visit our Flickr page.

Julia loving her Spaghetti Pie!

| |
6 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, Eggs, Pasta, RecipeRescue, Vegetables 

6 Responses to “Recipe Rescue: Spaghetti Pie”

  1. Nathalie on March 28th, 2009

    This recipe looks great! Thanks so much ladies! I’m definitely going to try it out on my kids next week.

    Re: the Barilla plus spaghetti, I also thought that my kids wouldn’t like it but when I tried it they loved it and didn’t notice a difference. Can’t wait to use it to make this yummy spaghetti pie! I love casseroles and anything that I can make ahead of time! Thanks again!

  2. Pam on March 29th, 2009

    Looks great, I think this will end up on my menu plan this week. I’ve already been shopping but all of these items are always in stock here. I think I’ll serve it up with a big Italian salad to round things out, plus I have some garlic bread waiting in the freezer!

  3. Kendra on March 30th, 2009

    Zucchini is not a big hit in our house so we substituted 1 cup shredded carrots for one cup of the zucchini. Family loved it and did not say a word about the remaining cup of zucchini.

  4. Pam on March 30th, 2009

    Wow, this was our snow day lunch today. I used Barilla whole grain mini penne and called it baked ziti. There are no leftovers.

  5. The Meal Makeover Moms on March 30th, 2009

    Yikes, where do you live that you had a snow day today? Enough already!

  6. The Meal Makeover Moms on April 3rd, 2009

    Pam, thanks for placing our blog widget in your sidebar!

Leave a Reply