In my cooking repertoire are several standbys. One is mushroom and barley soup. Another is throwing a bunch of frozen vegetables into a skillet and stir-frying. Still another is this one: Spaghetti Pie, adapted from a Today show recipe.
I'm really loose with the ingredients, but this is pretty much no-fail, no matter what you put in. I make it without meat, but feel free to add some cooked ground turkey, ground beef or cut up sausage links.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook about 12 ounces of pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat a generous slosh of olive oil and maybe a little butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add some chopped onion, garlic, a handful of mushrooms. When they start to smell good, add a couple cans of chopped tomatoes and maybe a can of water. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
If you want, add some chopped broccoli or spinach and maybe a can of beans (rinsed). Season to taste: salt, pepper, herbs such as oregano.
Whisk two eggs and stir them into the pasta, along with about 3/4 cup each (more if you'd like) parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Coat a 10-inch pie pan or cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Pour half the sauce. Add the pasta; pat it down evenly and add the rest of the sauce. Top with about 3/4 cup mozzarella. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes for easier slicing.
This is even better the next day, but there probably won't be leftovers.
Food on 05/23/2018