family favorite: pasta pie

A new family favorite...easy to throw together for a quick week night meal!

Brown a pound of ground beef in a skillet...



[This is 2 pounds because I saved half of the final sauce for calzones later in the week.]

While the meat is browning, boil a pound of rigatoni until slightly underdone [I did mine for 12 minutes]...



Drain the noodles.  Rinse with cold water and drain again.  Toss pasta with 1 T. olive oil and 1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese.  [The second time I made this, I also tossed in a beaten egg.  It seemed to help hold the final product together better.]

Drain ground beef.  Combine the meat with some tomato sauce...



...and simmer...



[Again, I was doubling my meat sauce for calzones later in the week.  If I was just making the pasta pie, I would have just added the 24 oz jar of sauce.]

While the sauce is simmering, spray a 9-inch springform pan.  Tightly pack pasta into the pan, standing each piece on end.



Spread meat sauce on top of pasta...



Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.

Place in a 400° oven for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle 8 oz mozzarella cheese on top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden...



Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes [if you can stand it that long].  Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold...



Cut into wedges like you would a pie...



delicious & delightful

Pasta Pie
[inspired from Noble Pig]

1 lb. rigatoni
1 T. olive oil
1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 lb. ground beef
1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. coarsley grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone [12 minutes].  Rinse pasta in cold water and drain again.  Toss pasta with 1 T. olive oil to coat.  Toss with Parmesan cheese and a beaten egg.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet until browned.  Drain.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan.  Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.  Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.  Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.

Place in a 400° oven for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden.  Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minues.  Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Thanks Mary Margaret for sharing!  Mary Margaret is one of the kids I use to babysit...now she is all grown up and almost finished with her college career.  That makes me feel OLD!