Food Recipes Dinner Pasta and Noodle Dishes Spaghetti Pie with Wild Mushrooms and Spinach 4.3 (3) 3 Reviews When she was 19, Gail Simmons traveled through New Zealand and quickly became obsessed with a local specialty that appeared at practically every roadside diner: spaghetti sandwiches. Part oozy grilled cheese, part tangy, tomato-sauced noodles, this mash-up was the inspiration for one of the Top Chef judge's greatest culinary triumphs, spaghetti pie. She's prepared multiple flavor variations, and it always makes her guests extremely happy. This version, perfect for fall gatherings, incorporates plenty of wild mushrooms, spinach, and herbs (plus a spoonful of chopped oil-packed black truffles, if she's feeling decadent). Bonus: If you don't finish it all in one sitting, leftovers make possibly the best next-day treat of all time. By Gail Simmons Gail Simmons Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show's inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on BRAVO's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as IronChef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as the special projects director at Food & Wine. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player When she was 19, Gail Simmons traveled through New Zealand and quickly became obsessed with a local specialty that appeared at practically every roadside diner: spaghetti sandwiches. Part oozy grilled cheese, part tangy, tomato-sauced noodles, this mash-up was the inspiration for one of the Top Chef judge’s greatest culinary triumphs, spaghetti pie. She’s prepared multiple flavor variations, and it always makes her guests extremely happy. This version, perfect for fall gatherings, incorporates plenty of wild mushrooms, spinach and herbs (plus a spoonful of chopped oil-packed black truffles, if she’s feeling decadent). Bonus: If you don’t finish it all in one sitting, leftovers make possibly the best next-day treat of all time. Photo: John Kernick Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Yield: 8 to 10 Ingredients Unsalted butter, softened, for brushing 1 pound spaghetti 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, porcini and stemmed shiitakes, cut into 1-inch pieces Kosher salt Pepper 5 ounces baby spinach 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups whole milk 3 cups shredded Fontina cheese (10 ounces) 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage 1 tablespoon thyme leaves Directions Preheat the oven to 425°. Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil and brush the inside with butter. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until barely al dente; drain. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Scrape into the mushrooms and let cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Add the spaghetti, mushroom mixture, 3 cheeses, sage, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper; mix well. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, until bubbling and the top is golden. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove the ring, cut the pie into wedges and serve. Make Ahead The pie can be baked up to 2 hours ahead and eaten warm or at room temperature. Originally appeared: November 2017 Rate It Print