If you would like to read the story that goes along with this recipe, go to my blog post “Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!”

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, 4 links (sweet or hot) casings removed
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I add two more pinches to give it a kick!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 cups water
  • 8 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces (I used half of a 16 ounce package–Thin spaghetti–not Angel Hair– but you can use regular )
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Saute green onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium heat 5 minutes.
  2. Add beef and sausage, brown over medium-hi heat.
  3. While almost brown, add garlic, pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.
  4. Once browned, stir in crushed tomatoes, water and salt.
  5. Add broken spaghetti. Push spaghetti into liquid, and cover for 8 minutes.
  6. After 8 minutes, stir pasta so the noodles won’t stick together. Reduce heat to medium low simmer for 6 more minutes until pasta is al dente (almost cooked but still a little firm).
  7. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and cream, stir well.
  8. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, put in oven to broil until spotty brown. (stand there and keep watch or set a timer for 3 minutes at a time until it’s ready, or else you may end up with Blackened Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!)

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Fresh ingredients is always best.

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I love fresh grated Parmesan cheese, it’s so easy to do with a Microplane grater, found at most kitchen stores. You can use grated cheese from the market if you want. But, the fresh grated cheese has more flavor.

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Get everything ready!

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Saute the onions in olive oil…

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I use extra lean ground beef to reduce the fat.
When I lived in California I could find Italian Turkey sausage,
but I can’t find it out here in the country.

Skillet Spaghetti

Anyhoo…Brown the meat…

Skillet Ground Beef

Add tomatoes, salt and spices…

Skillet Spaghetti Spices
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Pour in the water…

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Add broken spaghetti…

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Push pasta under the liquid…

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Cover and cook…

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Stir pasta to keep it from sticking together…

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Add Parmesan cheese, basil, and cream…Stir it in…

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Top with Mozzarella cheese, broil in oven a few minutes…keep an eye on it so it won’t turn into Blackened Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie! Set your timer a few minutes at a time. Keep checking!

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When it is spotty brown (looks like the top of a pizza) it is ready to serve right away. Bring the skillet right to the table ( that’s how we do it down yonder in the Ozarks y’all!). If you are making this for guests, and they haven’t arrived yet, wait to add the Mozzeralla cheese topping until just before it’s time to serve it.

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Serve with a crisp green salad and garlic cheese bread.
Makes the best leftovers!!!

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For the garlic bread, I just mix melted butter and grated Parmesean cheese with a pinch or two of garlic salt and spread it on the sliced french bread with a spoon, then broil the top until golden.

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Mangia! Mangia! That’s EAT! EAT! in Italian!

If you would like to read the story that goes along with this recipe, go to my blog post “Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!”