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Spaghetti “Pizza” with Sausage and Feta Cheese

This is an example of the weird things I come up with in my kitchen.

It’s not like I actually sat down and planned to make a spaghetti “pizza.”

I didn’t dream about it or have this fancy vision of eating it. I didn’t see it in a magazine.  And I didn’t see it on the side of a bus.

Though, that would’ve been wicked.

And I would’ve eaten the bus like a rabid velociraptor. Or maybe Godzilla’s bride.

Whatever. You get the point.

Instead, I took a trip to the surplus market (i.e. my fridge) and tossed a bunch of things together in the hopes that it would make for a passable dinner on a random Thursday night.

I used a hodge podge variety of ground sausage that I found buried in my freezer, the last handful of thin spaghetti noodles in my pantry, and a scant scattering of feta cheese. I tossed everything together and let it set over the stove before delivering it to the oven for a nice browning under the broiler.

The noodles turned a golden brown and crisped up like delicate tendrils. The spaghetti “pizza” was mottled with hues dark and light from the nuggets of sausage and feta cheese. I thought she was cute.

As it continued to cook under the broiler, the spaghetti noodles eased away from the sides of the pan even further, making it super easy to slide the whole thing out onto a cutting board for slicing.

I sprinkled some pretty green on top (parsley) before cutting into slices for serving. This was pretty good with a side of sriracha-ranch dressing for dipping that I quickly mixed together while it was broiling. All I did was whisk together a generous squeeze of sriracha hot sauce with about 1/3 cup buttermilk ranch dressing. I happened to have some Whole Foods prepared dressing in the fridge but you can substitute with whatever you see fitting. If you have homemade dressing even better.

Spaghetti “Pizza” with Sausage and Feta Cheese

Print the Recipe

Serves 4-6; prep and cook 35-40 minutes

½ pound thin spaghetti noodles (1/2 box)

8-10 ounces (about 1 cup) spicy ground sausage*

1 garlic clove; minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley; chopped and divided

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

Serve with sriracha-ranch dressing**

*I used some spicy ground Italian sausage I had stashed in the freezer but you could use whatever you have laying around. A ground chorizo, sweet Italian sausage, or even chopped up kielbasa or salami would be great in here too.

 

**I thought this “pizza” needed some kind of dressing to go with it so I whisked together some sriracha hot sauce with a basic buttermilk ranch dressing. It turned out excellent. If you’re not into the creamy, you could probably also dip these in a light tomato sauce to make them more pizza-y.

Fill a large stockpot and bring to the boil. Add a handful of salt and drop the spaghetti noodles in. Stir around. Cook until al dente, approximately 7-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Set aside.

Set an oven-proof non-stick 8-10 inch skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Toss in the sausage and break it up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, take the sausage out of the pan and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan.

Still set over medium-high heat, toss in the minced garlic, dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and stir around in the fat. Let fry for about 30 seconds. Toss in the drained spaghetti noodles and incorporate it well with the garlic, herbs, and fat. Add in salt and pepper. Once the noodles are well coated, spread it out to fill the pan like a pizza shape.

Pour in the egg mixture evenly over the spaghetti noodles, tilting the pan if necessary to spread the mixture through and through. Top with the crumbled feta cheese. Allow the spaghetti to cook over medium-high heat until the bottom starts to get brown and crunchy; approximately 10 minutes. Every now and again use a spatula to lift the edges of the spaghetti off the pan to ensure it’s not sticking.

Set an oven grate to the highest level and turn n the broiler.

When the bottom of the spaghetti is nicely browned and holds together, drizzle the top with olive oil and put the whole thing in the oven under the broiler so the top gets nice and crunchy – about another 5-7 minutes.

As soon as it’s ready, garnish with chopped parsley, cut into “pizza” slices and serve immediately with sriracha-ranch dressing or another condiment of your choice.

Provecho!

XO,

Steph

16 comments
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  • ErinJune 7, 2011 - 10:22 am

    Mmm I bet the spicy sausage and feta taste great together!ReplyCancel

  • Island VittlesJune 7, 2011 - 10:25 am

    Inspired — that’s what this dish is. Genius, actually. TheresaReplyCancel

  • Nelly RodriguezJune 7, 2011 - 10:49 am

    My kind of pizza! Love the feta in it, great picture!ReplyCancel

  • MichelleJune 7, 2011 - 12:12 pm

    I love crazy meals like this. When they turn out fab, it’s such a great feeling!ReplyCancel

  • lil @ sweetsbysillianahJune 7, 2011 - 1:32 pm

    this sounds and looks so good… i love crunchy noodles! i never thought to fry them up myself… thanks for sharing another great recipe, Steph. =)ReplyCancel

  • Fresh and FoodieJune 7, 2011 - 5:32 pm

    Ohhh! Tasty! For something random and unplanned, this looks pretty dang impressive! Plus anything with spaghetti and pizza in the name has to be good.ReplyCancel

  • JessicaJune 8, 2011 - 12:04 pm

    Steph I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that GORGEOUS photo of your spaghetti pizza! All that red and crisp – I can eat that for breakfast! I will have to try the sriracha + buttermilk ranch combination.ReplyCancel

  • HollyJune 8, 2011 - 1:07 pm

    Sounds really flavorful!!! The sausage I think would be my fav part!:)ReplyCancel

  • KimberleyJune 9, 2011 - 6:22 pm

    I love this! I’m all for being creative in the kitchen. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • sarahJune 11, 2011 - 12:32 pm

    ooooh this is the ultimate kitchen sink meal- what great flavors and what an awesome idea. Nice work!ReplyCancel

  • FifteenSpatulasJune 25, 2011 - 4:04 pm

    This is so interesting!  I love coming up with random things like this out of the pantry.  Awesome!ReplyCancel

  • SaltyLipsJuly 29, 2012 - 3:23 pm

    Just lovely!ReplyCancel

  • MckenzieVoiceNovember 26, 2012 - 8:13 am

    Someone cooked this for me the other day – great recipe, sounded great but tasted even better.ReplyCancel

  • EricMarch 24, 2013 - 3:30 pm

    Reminds me of cacciatore. Was that the inspiration?ReplyCancel

    • StephanieApril 10, 2013 - 1:48 pm

      Eric, actually the inspiration for this dish was born entirely from complete hunger, laziness, and just having a go at resourcefulness for ingredients I already had in the house. Love when these thrown-together meals turn out great!ReplyCancel

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