Torta di spaghetti – Spaghetti Pie

Here I propose a spaghetti cake to relief the hustle of last minute cooking. 
It's a delicious and beautiful dish, which could be easily prepared few hours in advance and just baked 45 minutes before eating. 
The plain tomato sauce will bring colour and would enhance the Mediterranean flavour.
It is a perfect one-course dish for a family meal or one of main courses for a bigger gathering. 

Frozen spinach and green peas work well, while I would suggest using good-quality spaghetti, as they keep al dente longer and better. We want a cake with texture, not a mushy pie.

The runny white sauce is the ideal binding for the cake, but make sure to get it runny, otherwise it would dry the dish.

Torta di spaghetti – Spaghetti Pie 

Tips

• Cook spaghetti very al dente. They will cook again in the oven. 
• Make a runny white sauce (béchamel) to keep moist the cake. 
• Start dressing pasta with its reserved cooking water - full of flavour and texture from the salt and the starch -, which will loose the sauce. 

500 g spaghetti
20 g butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
2 large red onions, finely sliced
500 g frozen whole leaf spinach
300 g frozen garden peas
250 g ricotta
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
60 g freshly grated Parmesan plus to decorate
For the White Sauce
30 g butter
40 g plain white flour, sifted
500 ml whole milk
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Sea salt and black pepper
For the tomato coulis
1 garlic clove, halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
Sea salt and black pepper

Serves 8 to 10
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes

1. In a large thick-based saucepan, heat the butter and the oil and sauté the onions on low heat with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, until translucent. Stir occasionally
2. Incorporate the frozen spinach and sauté over low-medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, with lid. Stir occasionally and season with salt. 
3. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate, 5 minutes.
4. In a small pan, cover the green peas with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 3 minutes and drain. 
5. Stir the peas into the spinach and adjust the seasoning. Set aside and leave to cool.
6. In a large bowl, mix ricotta with eggs and Parmesan.

For the white sauce (béchamel). 

1. In a small saucepan melt the butter and remove from the heat. Stir in the sifted flour to form a glossy paste and return the pan to the heat. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon on very low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk, 100 ml at a time, stirring vigorously with a balloon whisk. When all the milk has been incorporated, on very low heat, cook the sauce for 5 to 7 min. Remove from the heat and add nutmeg, salt ad pepper. 

For the cake

1. Add the white sauce to the spinach and stir to combine.
2. Add the spinach mixture to the ricotta and mix through. Adjust the seasoning.
3. In a pan, bring plenty of water – at least 3 litres - to the boil. Add 2 generous tablespoons of sea salt and cook spaghetti very al dente. Reserve 50 ml of cooking water and drain. 
4. Return the spaghetti to the pot on medium heat and add cooking water with a knob of butter. Stir vigorously for 1 minute. 
5. Add spaghetti to the spinach mixture and toss to combine.
6. Grease a non-stick and loose base cake pan (24 cm diameter) with butter and arrange the pasta over. 
7. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan and bake for 35 minutes, until golden and crusty on top.
8. Leave to rest 15 minutes. 
9. Serve with tomato sauce on the side.

For the tomato sauce

1. Heat the oil and add garlic; sauté 1 minute on medium heat.
2. Add the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and leave to a simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.