Shiksa Eats: Spaghetti Pie

Let’s talk Tisha B’Av.
Last week, July 29th, the Jewish holiday was observed, and I have to say – from what I know – it’s not the most cheerful day. Traditionally, it’s a day of mourning to “commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people.” That means no eating, no washing, and no greeting other people.
I have interpreted this holiday to be similar to Good Friday, for Christians, or September 11th for Americans. Mourning and remembrance.
So, as a good, dutiful food blogger, I took it upon myself to observe Tisha B’Av as well, with no eating and no washing. But I did it for a whole week. In the middle of nowhere, Minnesota.

… Yeah. My week didn’t exactly have anything to do with Tisha B’Av.

Last week, I was up at We Fest, in Detroit Lakes, MN. So my week consisted of working and going to concerts. No food. No sleep. And it really is fun- this was the third year some of my friends from high school and I did this. (The picture above is not said friends. Michelle is 2nd from the left, and Emily is farthest right… the other two are random photo-bombers.) 

Don’t get me wrong, I love We Fest. I’m for sure a lifer there. However, there are a few… less that satisfactory aspects of the week.

A. Showers- We waited in line for over an hour almost every day just to shower.
B. Tan-Lines (Burn-Lines)- I worked during the hottest part of the day, wearing a super stylish yellow vest. My arms are brown, my shoulders are white.
C. Weather- If you were in Minnesota last week, you might have noticed the strong line of storms that tore through the state Friday night. If you were at We Fest, you definitely noticed. (Unless you were asleep in the backseat of a truck- Katie Prater.)

The storm was so strong, it literally blew away our tent. Literally. Demolished. Unusable.

So where did we sleep? Someone else’s sopping wet tent, in 60 degree weather. Needless to say, I now have some form of hypothermia or Avian flu from being cold and wet for two days straight.

And when you’re cold and sick, there’s nothing better than mom’s cooking to make you feel better.

Enter Spaghetti Pie.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. spaghetti
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
  • 2 well beaten eggs
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 c. chopped onion
  • 1/4 c. chopped green pepper
  • 1 (8oz.) can tomatoes, cut up (or, I use petite diced tomatoes)
  • 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 c. (8oz) cottage cheese
  • 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions 

Yum!

  1. Cook spaghetti noodles, drain. Stir in butter. Stir in eggs and parmesan cheese. Form into crust, in buttered 10″ pie plate.
  2. Cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Drain.
  3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt.
  4. Heat through.
  5. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti crust.
  6. Fill with tomato mixture.
  7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes more.

Now clearly, this is not kosher. So, for those of you who keep kosher, I would advise you skip the ground beef and add more vegetables to your taste. (I’d suggest olives, more peppers, mushrooms, etc.) Otherwise, there is always the option of using fake cheese in the whole dish, and that just gets sticky. (No pun intended.)

The Shik-Down

Taste: Like spaghetti. Obvi.
Texture: The base is almost like a noodle kugel, and the top is hearty with ground beef, or smooth if you skip if.
Appearance: Almost like a deep dish pizza?
Skill Level: Easy and fast to put together. As a family, we had the whole thing put together, baked, and on our plates in under an hour.
Overall: This is a fantastic comfort food, and it’s much easier to eat than spaghetti! Next time you have guests coming over and you want to avoid them seeing you pull a Lady and the Tramp, try this sliceable version.