Those in the know know that Pi Day is the second day of the year to celebrate pie (National Pie Day is January 23rd, and The Great American Pie Month is February).

The actual of Pi Day, which celebrates the mathematical constant equal to 3.14159 (the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter) is a thing of beauty.

So is a great pie, and the year has 31 pie holidays—opportunities for you to taste your way through piedom.

There are savory pies too. Some are familiar, some not (see them here). And we have a fun one for you today:

You can use leftover cooked spaghetti to make this yummy Sausage & Peppers Spaghetti Pie. You can save up to a third of the prep time:

To cook spaghetti al dente, from heating the water to a rolling boil to achieving the desired texture, generally takes around 8 to 10 minutes.

> The history of pie.

> The different types of pie: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: SAUSAGE & SPAGHETTI PIE
 
Unlike a pot pie, spaghetti pie needs no crust. The spaghetti itself, when cooked and mixed with other ingredients, forms the base and structure of the dish, acting as the crust.

Prep time is 10 minutes prep time, 30 minutes cook time…but if you have leftover spaghetti, you can cut the cook time as noted above.

Thanks to McCormick for the recipe!
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

The recipe says eight servings, but these are what we would call appetizer servings, or a lunch portion served with a large salad.

 
Note: If you want to substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs, use a 3:1 ratio of fresh to dried. In other words, for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs, use 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs. The amount of fresh herbs is tripled because drying concentrates the flavor of the herbs.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Cook the spaghetti as directed on the package. Drain well. Meanwhile…

2. HEAT the oil in large ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat. Break up the sausage in the skillet. Add the bell pepper and onion; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the sausage is browned.

3. ADD the tomatoes, rosemary, garlic powder, oregano, thyme and salt. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. BEAT the eggs in large bowl. Add the cooked spaghetti and 1 cup of the mozzarella; mix well. Stir into the mixture in the skillet.

5. COOK on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the bottom is set. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

6. BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until the center is just set and cheese is melted. Cut into 8 wedges to serve.

We traditionally pass a wedge of cheese and a hand grater so people can grate as much cheese on their pie as they wish.

[1] Spaghetti pie with sausage and peppers (photos #1, #3, and #4 © McCormick).

[2] If you have leftover unsauced pasta, great! You’ll save up to 10 minutes of cooking time (photo © Paoli | Amazon).

[3] Dried rosemary leaves. When stored properly in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place, dried herbs can retain their flavor and quality for 1-3 years.

[4] Dried thyme leaves. The way to check if your dried herbs are still potent: first sniff. If you don’t inhale a strong aroma, then taste. If they pass your taste test, great. Otherwise, you need a fresh jar.