Delicious layers of cheese, meat sauce, and even more cheese sit atop a buttery, garlicky pasta crust in this Spaghetti Pie! It looks fancy, slices beautifully, and tastes even better.
Why this recipe is so delicious: the tender vermicelli crust is packed with Parmesan and herbs, creating a rich, sturdy base that holds creamy ricotta and hearty meat sauce in perfect layers. It’s a total crowd-pleaser and makes dinner feel special without being complicated.
If you love cozy baked pasta dinners like this, be sure to try my Baked Spaghetti, Million Dollar Spaghetti, or Baked Ziti with Ricotta next. And if casseroles are your kind of comfort food, take a look at my full collection of Casserole Recipes for even more family favorites.
Now let’s head to the kitchen and make something delicious together. 💕
Before You Begin
✨ Use a deep dish pie plate. A 10-inch deep dish pan gives you plenty of room for all those luscious layers.
✨ Don’t overcook the pasta. Vermicelli (or angel hair) cooks quickly, and overcooked pasta will make the crust too soft. Aim for al dente.
✨ Mix carefully. Combine the hot noodles with butter and Parmesan first, then let the mixture cool before adding the egg—this prevents scrambling.
✨ Let it rest before slicing. After baking, let the Spaghetti Pie sit for at least 15 minutes. This allows the layers to set so every slice holds together beautifully.
✨ Customize it. Swap the beef for Italian sausage or turkey, or add finely chopped veggies for extra flavor and texture.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Pie
This is just a quick glance at what you’ll need. For exact measurements and the full ingredient list, head down to the recipe card below.
Pasta Crust
- Vermicelli: The key to a firm base; angel hair works too.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds nutty, salty richness.
- Egg: Helps bind the crust so it slices beautifully.
- Garlic & herbs: Dried basil, oregano, and black pepper bring classic Italian flavor.
Filling
- Ground beef: Or swap with Italian sausage for a bolder taste.
- Tomato sauce & paste: For a thick, rich meat sauce base.
- Ricotta: Creamy contrast to the sauce layer—don’t skip it!
- Mozzarella: Melts into that irresistible golden topping.
- Nutmeg: Just a pinch—it subtly enhances the ricotta mixture.
Pro Tips for the Best Spaghetti Pie
⭐ Go for quality Parmesan. Freshly grated cheese melts better and adds depth.
⭐ Drain your sauce well. You want a thick consistency so the pie layers stay distinct and not watery.
⭐ Press that crust firmly. The tighter you pack it, the cleaner your slices will be.
⭐ Try the sausage swap. Italian sausage adds savory spice and richness—especially great for company!
⭐ Make it ahead. Assemble the pie a day in advance, refrigerate, then bake just before serving for an easy dinner-party win.
⭐ Be patient before cutting. The hardest part is waiting! But letting your Spaghetti Pie rest for 10–15 minutes ensures clean slices and perfect layers that won’t collapse.
How To Make Spaghetti Pie
- Brown the beef.
- Saute the onion. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, to the skillet.
- Simmer.
- In a bowl, add the drained pasta, garlic, butter, Parmesan, egg, basil, pepper. Mix to combine.
- Press pasta mixture with a spatula into prepared pie plate. Bake.
- In a bowl, stir the ricotta, egg, oregano and pinch of nutmeg.
- Mix.
- Allow cooling while you mix together the ricotta mixture.
- Spread the ricotta mixture over the slightly cooled pasta crust.
- Pour the meat sauce on top.
- Add the cheese on top. Bake.
- Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use spaghetti instead of vermicelli?
Yes! Regular spaghetti works in a pinch, though your crust will be slightly softer and less dense.
Can I add vegetables to the meat sauce?
Absolutely! Bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach blend right in—just keep the sauce thick so it doesn’t get soupy.
Why add nutmeg to the ricotta mixture?
It’s a traditional Italian touch that subtly enhances creamy cheeses—it won’t taste “sweet,” just more balanced.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, it’s a great make-ahead meal. Assemble the layers, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
Storing + Reheating + Freezing + Make-Ahead Tips
Storing
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
- Reheat covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 15–20 minutes until hot. Allow chilled slices to come to room temperature first to prevent the pie dish from cracking.
Freezing
- Wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Make-Ahead
- Prepare the pie a day early and refrigerate before baking. Bring to room temperature before placing in the oven.
More Delicious Pasta Dinners
- Cacio e Pepe: A simple Roman classic with buttery noodles and plenty of cracked black pepper.
- Pasta alla Norma: A rustic Sicilian dish with tender eggplant and rich tomato sauce.
- Chicken Tortellini Alfredo: Creamy, indulgent, and ready to impress with every bite.
- Chicken Riggies: A creamy, spicy pasta from upstate New York that’s pure comfort food.
- Baked Mostaccioli: Hearty, cheesy, and baked until bubbly — a family favorite for weeknights.
Tried This Recipe?
If you enjoyed this Spaghetti Pie, please take a moment to leave a star rating and a quick comment — I love hearing from you!
💌 Want more cozy, crave-worthy meals? Subscribe now to my FREE email and be the first to know when a new recipe goes live! Follow along on Instagram @gonna_want_seconds for behind-the-scenes peeks and more family-favorite recipes.
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
Pasta Crust:
- 4 ounces dry vermicelli broken into 2 pieces
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large rgg Beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Filling:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano divided
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a deep dish 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta (4 ounces) per the package instructions just until it's al dente.
- As the pasta cooks, start the sauce by heating a 12-inch nonstick skillet with the olive oil (2 teaspoons) over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Add onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the beef (1/2 pound) to the onions and continue to cook until the beef is cooked through and there is no longer any pink. Drain off any excess fat from the skillet. Add tomato sauce (1 can), tomato paste (3 tablespoons), sugar (1 teaspoon), basil (1 teaspoon), salt (3/4 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon), to the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- When pasta is cooked to al dente, drain well in a colander, but Do Not Rinse. Return drained pasta to the pot and add garlic, butter (2 tablespoons), Parmesan (1 cup), egg (1), basil (1/2 teaspoon), 1 teaspoon oregano, and pepper (1/8 teaspoon), and mix to combine. Press the pasta mixture with a spatula into the prepared pie plate. Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until pasta is set. Allow cooling while you mix together the ricotta mixture.
- As the pasta crust cools and the meat sauce simmers, stir the ricotta (1 cup), egg (1), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and a pinch of nutmeg together in a small bowl. Spread the ricotta mixture over the slightly cooled pasta crust then pour an even layer of the meat sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with cheese (1 1/2 cups) and bake. Bake in the oven until heat through and the top is golden and sauce is bubbly for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for about 15 minutes, then cut and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Go for quality Parmesan. Freshly grated cheese melts better and adds depth.
- Drain your sauce well. You want a thick consistency so the pie layers stay distinct and not watery.
- Press that crust firmly. The tighter you pack it, the cleaner your slices will be.
- Try the sausage swap. Italian sausage adds savory spice and richness—especially great for company!
- Make it ahead. Assemble the pie a day in advance, refrigerate, then bake just before serving for an easy dinner-party win.
- Be patient before cutting. The hardest part is waiting! But letting your Spaghetti Pie rest for 10–15 minutes ensures clean slices and perfect layers that won’t collapse.
Nutrition
Reader Interactions
Comments
Trackbacks
-
[…] Garlic Bread. To mis it up a bit, grab some chicken for Chicken Spaghetti Casserole or make a Spaghetti Pie and pair it with Cheesy Pull Apart […]
-
[…] more About Spaghetti Pie or What I Like to Call,”Out Of This World, Delicious Parmesan Garlic Angel Hair Past… […]
-
[…] (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Read more […]
-
[…] Spagetti Pie […]
Love this! Made a few adjustments – half ground beef, half Italian sausage and added mushrooms. Next time I’ll use less mozzarella on top and bake the vermicelli a little less. This isn’t a fast meal, but it is a great and easy one that somehow comes off as a little fancier than regular spaghetti. Thank you!
Hi, Carol! I love your tweaks <3 Thank you for your feedback, and I'm so happy you like it 🙂
This was a very tasty dish. Rather labor intensive for a week night, but worth it. My main complaint is the ads on the site. The ad shows up right on top of the recipe, and it is impossible to get rid of it. It took me twice as long to make because I kept having to reload the site because the adds covered the instructions. Please make sure there is a way to close the ad. Right now all you can do is go to the ad website. Very, very annoying.
Hi Linda. Honestly, I’m so sorry. I just started using a new advertising company. When I check out the ads, that doesn’t happen on my computer. I have had a few other readers say similar things so I’m wondering if maybe it’s possibly a browser issue. I’ve contacted the agency and hope to have this issue resolved soon! Thank you for reaching out and letting me know there is an issue!
I have made this twice, both times using zucchini noodles instead of the pasta and last night I had no ricotta so I chopped up and sauteed mushrooms and tossed them with cheese and pesto to sub for the cheese layer. It was great both times! Excited to eat my leftovers today.
Hi Bethany. Wow this sounds amazing with zucchini! Great suggestion 😉
Am in the process of preparing this recipe – but could not find Vermicelli in any of the stores I went to – am substituting angel hair pasta – hope it works ok. Hard to know exactly how much 4 oz is. I am thinking I have too much, but hey, pasta is good – right ! 🙂
Hello Joyce. Angel Hair is the perfect substitute. Frankly, I don’t think there’s any difference between the two. Hope you enjoy 🙂
This looks soooo AMAZING!!! I also use sausage in all my pasta dishes but I won’t take exception that it’s made with ground beef!!!! I think it’s a personal preference and since I LOVE sausage that is what I use! That’s what makes cooking fun…you find a recipe you like and tweet it to make it the way you like it!!! Thanks soooo much for sharing! I can’t wait to make it!
I hope you try it and enjoy it! Let us know if you make it with the sausage!
Kathleen, I made this with sausage and it turned out wonderful!!! Thank you for a great recipe! I will be making this again and again!!!
I have been making a similar recipe for decades – however – I take exception to the fact that you use ground beef. That explains why the sauce in your picture looks brownish instead of the luxuriant deep red an Italian sauce should be. Ground beef has that effect. I use, and only use, hot Italian sausage in any of my red sauces. (I suppose the sweet or mild Italian sausage could also be used – but never ground beef) Otherwise your recipe is a winner!
Thanks for sharing Merrie 😉
Im so happy I found your site!!!! Everything looks so YUMMY !!!!!!
Thanks so much Margaret! Glad you’re here 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’m excited to make it for company this weekend. Have you ever put it together ahead of time, refrigerated and then baked? I’m trying to get as much done before my guests arrive and thinking of having this the day after they arrive.
Hey Patty! No I haven’t done that yet but I think it’s a really terrific idea. I’d probably cover it with foil because I think it will have to bake a little longer to heat it through and get it all bubbly. Don’t leave it in the oven too long or it will dry out. I’d love to hear back from you if you try it out!
I’ve actually made this in 2 smaller pans and frozen one for later and that comes out fantastic as well. I prefer this to a pan of spaghetti now!!
So happy to hear it, Heather!
I had a recipe like this . This works in any pan it is great and a nice surprise to dinner company
Thanks Mary 😉
do you think you could do this in a different kind of pan?
Hi Michelle, yes you can use a different pan.
Hi, do you just put the Vermicelli on the bottom or do you press it on the sides of pan….Thanks
Hi Nancy. I just put the vermicelli on the bottom 🙂