Downsizing...while cooking spaghetti pie

 

Folks, I’m afraid you’re going to get worn out with the subject of downsizing, but this is what it looks like, and it ain’t pretty. Jordan worked like a demon this evening in my kitchen. The result is all this laid out on the dining table for her siblings to look at when they’re here next weekend. Each one has a corner of the table and then there is a spot for things they just might want. I have visions of them saying, “No, thanks,” and we’re left with all this stuff. I also want to say to them please don’t be offended if you see something you gave me. Christian said tonight, “You sure have a lot of sets of china.” Too true. Jamie has already gotten the Imari he wanted; I have always known what Megan wanted—the Suzy Cooper, and I am hoping Colin, as keeper of the MacBain tradition, will want the plaid china. If they don’t take it all, I may invite the neighbors in.

I made spaghetti pie tonight, from a recipe I found I know not where. It was really good, but we would make some changes in it another time. Here’s how I would do it:

 

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked, cooking water reserved

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 lb. ground meat (use turkey if you want—I used beef)

1 c. tomato paste, divided

Herbs as desired

3 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan

8 oz. Mozzrella

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta, drain, rinse, and set aside

Sauté onions until transparent. Add ground meat and brown until no pink shows. Add ¾ c. tomato paste, ½ c. pasta water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir, adding more pasta water if needed. Sauce should be consistency of a thick Bolognese sauce. Add, to taste, a bit of thyme, Italian seasonings, oregano—whatever suits your fancy.

Separately, mix eggs, cooked pasta, parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, and ¼ c. tomato paste.

Grease 9” pie pan. Spread half meat mixture. Top with spaghetti mix, tamping it down as much as possible to make a level top. Add remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges with sharp knife.

Jacob loved the pasta part and shoved the meat aside; Christian wanted more meat; Jordan and I decided the original recipe call for too much pasta—12 oz. But we all declared it a keeper recipe. I was particularly proud of cooking this tonight because I haven’t been cooking much—back issues—and did this tonight with only one time out.

I cooked; Jordan cleaned and sorted, and we tripped over eachother. So now I have a newly organized kitchen and a full belly. She warned me not to even ask where all my dish towels had gone.