Veggie-Loaded Vegetarian Spaghetti Pie Recipe
This easy spaghetti pie recipe is packed with veggies and can be made with leftover pasta. Full of flavor and oodles of vegetables, it is the perfect meatless healthy family dinner.
What is spaghetti pie?
THAT is what one of my best friend’s texted when told her what I was cooking up for dinner and the blog.
I truly thought spaghetti pie was one of those classic grandma dishes that everyone knew about, but I was clearly wrong. So let’s get the definition of what exactly spaghetti pie is on the books before we move onto the awesome sauce recipe I created for you (and you better believe that pun was intended).
Spaghetti pie is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Spaghetti baked into a pie.
It is basically a casserole of sorts. A typical spaghetti pie recipe is usually cooked pasta held together by an egg and cheese mixture, topped with classic spaghetti fare (sauce, meat, veggies) baked, can be sliced like a savory pie and gobbled up as dinner. It can also be a great way to use up boring leftover spaghetti or make pasta night a little more interesting (because pie + spaghetti = wow!!)
Recipe developed in collaboration with Heather Staller.
Why this vegetarian spaghetti pie recipe is so good.
It’s veggie-loaded! Pasta sauce is one of the first places I started veggie-loading our family’s meals and packing veggies into tomato sauce is still something I do. The veggies in this recipe kind of simmer into this delicious perfection and make getting oodles of veggies into dinner effortless as well as delicious.
Great for meal prep. Make it ahead of time and reheat it as a whole or by the slice!
A fun twist on classic pasta. Pasta night is a go-to thing for many families, but that can get a smidge boring week after week. Adding this vegetarian spaghetti pie recipe into the mix will help keep the ease of pasta night while serving up something fun and a little different.
Awesome for using up leftover pasta. I love breathing new life into leftovers and this spaghetti pie recipe is perfect for making last night’s pasta into something new and different.
Easy. Don’t let all the steps fool you. Those are there just to help you be successful in making this spaghetti pie. Everything from the homemade sauce to the pasta “crust” is very simple to make.
Family-friendly. I am a mom and former teacher, so literally everything on this blog has “family-friendly” in mind. This spaghetti pie is full of flavor and is just fun to eat, so I have no doubt that your crew will love it as much as mine!
Suggested adaptations
Make this spaghetti pie dairy-free.
The parmesan cheese in the spaghetti component is for flavor, so it can easily be left out. You could use a tablespoon of nutritional yeast instead or add an extra pinch of salt to add flavor. For the mozzarella on top, you can leave that off as well or use a dairy-free cheese alternative to get the same look as the melted cheese on top.
Need egg-free?
You can make this spaghetti pie without eggs, but I would not use a flax “egg” as a substitute. Instead, I would try a liquid egg-alternative product like “Just Egg” or a powder egg replacer that you mix with water. These substitutes may not hold the spaghetti together as well when you cut a wedge of the “pie” out of the pan, but it will taste just as good.
Skip mushrooms.
Not a fan? No problem! You can leave them out completely or use other chopped vegetables like peppers, zucchini, and/or broccoli instead.
Add meat.
If vegetarian isn’t needed, you can add ½ pound ground turkey, chicken, or lean beef and cook it in the pan with the vegetables before adding the tomatoes just like you are making a meat sauce for pasta. Raw sausage removed from the casing then cooked with the vegetables would also be a great addition to the sauce.
Wondering how to store your carrots so they stay fresh as long as possible? Check out my post on How to Keep Cut Carrots Fresh and get the most out of your produce buck!
Up the veggies!
Pretty much any veggies you have on hand can be added to the tomato sauce. Finely chopped broccoli, bell peppers, and/or zucchini would all be nice additions. Keep the veggie quantities about the same as in the recipe so that you don’t make too much sauce.
Have a veggie-iffy eater in your house?
For more “picky” eaters, try adding grated veggies like the carrot and/or some zucchini so that they are less detectable in the sauce after it’s cooked.
No fresh spinach on hand?
You could also use frozen chopped spinach instead.
Do you have some leftover spinach after making this spaghetti pie? Don’t let it go to waste! Check out my tips & tricks for keeping spinach fresh all week!
Use a different kind of tomato.
If you use a “diced” canned tomato, the sauce will be chunkier and not stay on top of the spaghetti as well (but it will still taste good). If you only have whole canned tomatoes or diced tomato, you can blend them in a food processor or blender to create your own crushed tomatoes. You could use diced fresh tomato for this sauce, but it will take an additional 15 to 20 minutes to cook the tomatoes down into a sauce consistency.
Other veggie-loaded pasta recipes you will love
- Baked Pasta with Eggplant
- Mushroom Lentil Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Kid-Friendly Vegetable Sauce
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Loving this spaghetti pie and hungry for more?
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Veggie-Loaded Vegetarian Spaghetti Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti of choice, (white, whole wheat, or gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion , about 1/2 a large onion
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 8 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, diced small
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 ℉. Grease a 9-inch pie plate or round baking dish with oil.
- Cook your spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables. Once the spaghetti is ‘al dente’, drain in a colander then place in a large bowl.
- To make sauce, return the pot you cooked the pasta in (or another pot if you prefer) to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and carrot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add chopped mushroom and saute until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 more minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in spinach and then crushed tomato. Lower heat and simmer while you prepare the spaghetti “crust”.
- To the cooked spaghetti, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, eggs, parmesan cheese, the rest of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix well then press the spaghetti mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your pie pan.
- Spoon the veggie sauce into the center of the spaghetti. Spread into an even layer, leaving an-inch boarder of spaghetti not covered in sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Bake until cheese is golden brown, 20 to 22minutes. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
This was delicious! I used gf brown rice pasta and it came out great. Whole family loved it
This was fantastic! Used Chickpea pasta and frozen spinach (squeezed) because we didn’t have fresh on hand. Thank you!
I’m glad you loved it as much as we do!
This recipe is SO GOOD! Five out of five of us liked it (which is a rareity). We did add meat and bell peppers because our store was out of mushrooms and I wanted to “bulk” it up. I do want to try as originally written next time!
I’m so glad to hear that, Kassie! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review
I make a no-carb, meatless, extraordinarily tasty, delicious version of this. I call it an open faced shakshuka quiche.
A fresh litre of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, fried chopped onion , garlic, fried chopped celery, fresh basil & chopped pine nuts mixed in food processor, toasted pine nuts, chopped olives, s&p, cumin, paprika and even still hot, stir in 2 eggs.
(Tough pot to clean cos there’s no added liquids. Suggestions?)
Just shovel it into 2 open-faced pie crusts, bake 350 under foil.
After 35 mins remove foil and replace it with an entire grated mozzarella pkg. put ur silicone crust protector on before 3 mins broiling.
I just used tenderflake pie crusts
Oops. Meant toasted pine nuts
Oh that sounds delicious!
I loved yours better!
🥰
Excellent spaghetti pie. Is it o.k.to freeze a piece of this pie.Thank you for a great receipe
Hi Gloria! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I believe it should freeze just fine!