Spaghetti Pie Recipe with Tomato Meat Filling and Ricotta (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to spaghetti sauce to make it taste better? ›

Layer Cottage Cheese: Spread a thin layer of cottage cheese over top (you could substitute ricotta if you like). Add Spaghetti Sauce: Top with spaghetti sauce. You could use my homemade spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce or store-bought pasta sauce.

Use salt and pepper to season ground beef, turkey, or pork. Add garlic, onions, bell peppers, oregano, basil, parsley, or Italian seasoning for extra flavor. Stir red pepper flakes, chili powder, or hot sauce into the meat for a spicy kick.

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

Worcestershire sauce isn't a sauce in itself, it's an ingredient. It enhances the flavor of sauces by giving them depth, a punch in the background and complexity. Foods with complex flavors appeal to our tongues, so Worcestershire sauce makes sauces taste better.

Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Cream cheese: Cream cheese is made with milk and cream, while ricotta is made with just milk. The lower fat content makes the latter cheese slightly less creamy. However, cream cheese can still be substituted for ricotta.

Ricotta is a bit iffy, but it's okay if it's very fresh and top quality. The white sauce (bechamel) is sufficient to bind the filling without adding eggs. If you're not using bechamel in your lasagna, you're missing a seriously creamy component.

What do Italians use instead of ricotta in lasagna? ›

If you Google authentic Italian lasagna you will find that Italians use béchamel sauce and NOT ricotta in their recipe.

One of the finest cuts of beef to be served with pasta is chopped filet mignon. The tenderness of the steak paired with the flavor of the sauce creates an unforgettable pasta dish. Ground beef is often used to create the traditional spaghetti and meatballs we all know and love.

Not seasoning your beef will leave it bland, so for my seasoned beef I like to add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, chopped onion and minced garlic. I brown the ground beef, minced garlic and onion. Drain off any excess fat, then add the seasonings. Making sure to mix the beef well with the seasonings.

Once the ground beef is fully cooked, it's time to add seasonings and enhancements to elevate the flavor of your spaghetti. You can add minced garlic for a savory kick, dried herbs like oregano and basil for an Italian touch, or even a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.

Herbs: Add some dried herbs such as oregano, basil, or thyme for some extra flavor. Red pepper flakes: If you like some heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce. Parmesan cheese: Grate some Parmesan cheese over the top of the spaghetti before serving.