Cheese-topped spaghetti & meatball pie

This baked pasta dish, made with meatballs in a nest of cheesy spaghetti, is far easier to assemble than a multi-layered lasagna, and a lot of fun to eat. It makes great use of leftover spaghetti and can be streamlined with frozen meatballs directly from the freezer. Make it a triple whammy of cheese with a layer of cottage cheese or ricotta between the pasta and toppings

1/2 lb (250 g) dry spaghetti

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (125 ml) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 lb (250 g) lean ground beef or bison

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter or olive oil

1 cup (250 ml) cottage cheese or ricotta

2 cups (500 ml) tomato sauce

1 cup (250 ml) grated mozzarella, Havarti, Friulano, Edam, provolone, white cheddar or other meltable cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. In a small bowl, stir one of the eggs and half the Parmesan cheese together with a fork. Drain the pasta well, cool it slightly and toss with the egg mixture. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a buttered pie plate. If you like, spread with cottage cheese or ricotta.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F and mix the ground beef, one of the eggs and half the Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.

4. Season with salt and pepper and roll into 1-inch balls; place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn the heat down to 350°F.

5. Scatter the meatballs over the spaghetti and pour the tomato sauce overtop. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

362 calories, 11 g fat (6.3 g saturated fat, 3.7 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 34.5 g carbohydrate, 28.7 g protein, 2.4 g fibre