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WW Recipe of the Day: Pizza Pasta Pie
Today I’m sharing a WW friendly dinner idea that is sure to satisfy the entire family. Fresh-cooked spaghetti forms the “crust” for this deep dish “pizza” casserole layered with ricotta cheese, meaty marinara, and melted mozzarella cheese.
This quick and easy dish is part pizza, part pasta, and part pie–and it delivers the flavor of lasagna. This spaghetti casserole can also be assembled ahead and then baked later. Could it get any better?
How Many Calories and WW Points in Pizza Pasta Pie?
According to my calculations, each serving has 290 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
9 SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
9 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make this WW Friendly Pizza Pasta Pie Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather your ingredients and cooking utensils.
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 pound very lean ground beef
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms, optional
- 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce (such as Classico Tomato Basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking Utensils:
- Stock Pot (affiliate link)
- Colander/Strainer (affiliate link)
- Large Nonstick Skillet (affiliate link)
- Large Mixing Bowl (affiliate link)
- Glass or Ceramic Pie Plate (affiliate link)
Step 2: Prepare the Spaghetti
Prepare the spaghetti according to the package directions, drain, rinse and shake well to remove excess water. Place the spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with the egg and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Press the spaghetti onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate (affiliate link) and set aside.
Step 3: Prepare the Meat Sauce
Spray a large nonstick skillet (affiliate link) with cooking spray and place it over medium high heat. Add the beef and mushrooms, if using, and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes or so. Add the marinara sauce and oregano.
Stir it to mix it with the meat and cook 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Step 4: Assemble the Skinny Pizza Pasta Pie
Stir the ricotta well to loosen it and then and spoon it onto the spaghetti crust, spreading it out evenly.
Spoon the meat sauce over the ricotta layer.
Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Bake the Pizza Pasta Pie
Bake for 30 minutes or until fully heated through. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting into six wedges to serve.
Recipe Notes
My go to jarred marinara sauce when I’m paying close attention to WW Points is Classico Tomato Basil. It tastes great and has only 2 WW Points per half cup serving.
The mushrooms are optional but do add bulk for Zero Points. I would have added them, except my sister, who abhors mushrooms, was having dinner with us.
Using fat-free ricotta, instead of part skim, will shave 1 Point.
Using fat-free mozzarella instead of part skim will also shave 1 Point.
If you prefer, you can substitute whole wheat, whole grain or brown rice pasta.
This recipe is very flexible. Add pizza toppings to suit your tastes. Bell pepper, olives, and pepperoni would all be delicious. Just be sure to adjust the Points if you are following WW.
It also can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to bake it.
Serving Suggestions
I served our Pizza Pasta Pie with a simple tossed green salad. For me pasta and salad are the perfect match. Depending on how many veggies you add, it might be just fine on its own. Steamed green beans, sauteed zucchini, air fryer roasted broccoli or grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, peppers and/or eggplant would also be great.
Ways to Use Leftovers
You can portion out any leftovers and refrigerate and/or freeze for future quick and easy meals. Since there were for of us for dinner the night I served this up I had just enough leftover for lunch for Rod and me the next day. This is so tasty, leftovers shouldn’t be a problem.
If you’ve made this Pizza Pie Baked Pasta, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Pizza Pasta Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan, divided
- 1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms, optional
- 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce (such as Classico tomato basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano (I used Italian seasoning instead)
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link) with cooking spray.
- The first step is to prepare the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, drain, rinse and shake well to remove excess water. Place the spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with the egg and 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan cheese. Press the spaghetti onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate and set aside.
- Next prepare the meat sauce. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium high heat. Add the beef and mushrooms, if using, and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes or so. Add the marinara sauce and oregano. Stir it to mix it with the meat and cook 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Then assemble the pizza pasta pie. Stir the ricotta well to loosen it and then and spoon it onto the spaghetti crust, spreading it out evenly. Spoon the meat sauce over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until fully heated through. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting into six wedges to serve.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 9 SmartPoints (Green plan) 9 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 9 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) My go to jarred marinara sauce when I’m paying close attention to WW Points is Classico Tomato Basil. It tastes great and has only 2 WW Points per half cup serving. The mushrooms are optional but do add bulk for Zero Points. I would have added them, except my sister, who abhors mushrooms, was having dinner with us. Using fat-free ricotta, instead of part skim, will shave 1 Point. This recipe is very flexible. Add pizza toppings to suit your tastes. Bell pepper, olives, and pepperoni would all be delicious. Just be sure to adjust the Points if you are following WW. It also can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to bake it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: Eat More of What You Love (affiliate link)
If you like Pizza Pasta Pie, you might also like
- Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti Made Lighter is one of our favorite comfort meals made lighter and a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken breasts.
- Just like homemade hamburger helper, Cheeseburger Pasta One Pot Skillet is a simple one pot meal that is sure to please the entire family.
- WW Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs is made lighter and lower in fat by swapping out ground chicken for beef in the meatballs.
- Mom’s Easy Baked Ziti Made Lighter is an easy and versatile dinner recipe that can be easily adapted to what you have on hand.
Absolutely delicious! Quick, easy and filling! Thank you for this outstanding recipe ?
What if you use whole wheat spaghetti? Wouldn’t that make it less on purple?