Spaghetti Pie As Made By Gail Simmons

SPAGHETTI PIE BY GAIL SIMMONS
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ pound broccoli, de-stemmed and chopped
1 tablespoon water
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Salt, to taste
1 pound dried spaghetti
¼ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 ½ cups fontina cheese, grated
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and divided
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat the oven to 425º F (220ºC). Butter a 9-inch springform pan and tightly wrap the outside bottom edges with aluminum foil to seal and prevent leakage while baking.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, garlic, and onion, and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and water and cook until the broccoli tenderizes, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the sausage and cook through. Stir in the tomato paste and add the whole tomatoes. Use tongs to roughly crush them in the pan and add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon should be fine).
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add salt to the boiling water and cook the spaghetti until very al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it, and reserve the pot.
6. In the pasta pot, whisk the milk, eggs, pepper, and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the cheddar, fontina, and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
7. Add the sausage mixture, stir, and then carefully fold in the cooked spaghetti.
8. Transfer to the buttered springform pan and tightly pack the spaghetti so that the filling is flush with the top edge of the vessel. Set the pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for 35 minutes until the edges are golden and bubbling.
10. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the top of the pie with remaining Parmesan and sage. Broil until the top is golden. Let the pie rest about 10 minutes before disengaging the springform.
11. Enjoy!