Who else thinks that pasta is comfort food? I can eat pasta all day, and this miso butternut squash and spinach spaghetti pie hits the top of the list! Why? This recipe has a few things that other pasta bakes do not.
A spaghetti pie is unique because it is bound together by egg, just enough that the strands stick together making cutable wedges. Most bakes fall part upon serving, or have loads of cheese holding them together.
The strands of spaghetti that stick up get toasty, browned and crunchy, while the center stays soft and creamy with the velvety richness of the roasted butternut squash. The textural contrast is undeniably good.
Finish the whole thing off with ooey-gooey melty cheese, and not just any cheese. Nutty gruyere cheese that toasts atop the pie along with those stray spaghetti strands.
Every winning pasta recipe needs a winner sauce, and mine is made with umami rich miso rounded out with some dry white wine. Add some herbs and plenty of garlic and your fork will be asking for bite after bite!
Variations to the Miso Butternut Squash and Spinach Spaghetti Pie recipe:
- Large butternut squash: Most butternut squash are larger than 1lb. I suggest roasting the whole thing, then using the leftovers throughout the week in other dishes, like on a salad, or in a grain bowl.
- Any color miso will work here. I stock red miso because it has the strongest flavor of all the miso varieties and I cannot get enough of the flavor!
- Fresh spinach will work for the frozen, just give it time to wilt in the skillet so it mixes with the spaghetti nicely.
- Gluten Free: Try a chickpea or lentil spaghetti and double check your miso as well. Not all are gluten free, but brown rice miso should be.
- Sub the gruyere with another high-quality cheese. An aged white cheddar, for example.
- 1lb peeled butternut squash, cubed (2-3 cups)
- Splash olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- 6 oz whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 TBS butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp each: black pepper, dried basil, and dried thyme
- ¼ each: salt and tsp red pepper flake
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 TBS red miso paste
- 4 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Toss the butternut squash with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, parcook spaghetti for 6 minutes (8 minutes would be aldente according to my box). Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid.
- Add the butter and onion to a large oven-proof skillet (I used a 10-inch cast iron). Saute until the onion is translucent over medium or medium low heat, 5-10 minutes.
- Mix in the garlic, black pepper, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, and red pepper flake. Saute 1 minute, or until fragrant. Mix in the dry white wine and miso, stirring to dissolve the miso.
- Mix in the roasted butternut squash, spinach, parmesan, spaghetti, and reserved cooking liquid. Beat the eggs add to the pasta, and toss to coat. Top with gruyere cheese and return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the pie is set.
This recipe was inspired by smitten kitchen, but adapted from my own miso butternut squash pasta bake.
