.spaghetti pot pie.

you've probably had chicken pot pie before. if you liked it, you know that the secret ingredient is the secret itself. below this delicate, flaky crust lies a hidden meal. there's something soothing about poking your fork in to the pie crust on top to find a hearty dish waiting beneath.

so i decided one night that while i wanted that pot pie effect, i didn't want the usual underneath the crust. instead, i was craving spaghetti. who says there's a die hard rule that pot pies can't come in multiple forms? if there is, i just broke it.

start by preparing your pie crust. probably the easiest way to do this is to walk into your neighborhood grocery store and buy a ready made pie crust.

however, if you're feeling frisky, a homemade pie crust really isn't that hard to make and you can control the thickness to suit your preference. plus, there's something so satisfying about making a pie crust from scratch.

either way, get your pie crust ready and then move to the spaghetti. most of us have our favorite spaghetti recipes and there's no need to deviate from that. i went the easy route and used jar sauce. hey, it's good and i just made a pie crust from scratch. give me a break.

once your sauce is simmering and your spaghetti has been cooked to just past el dente, load a shallow casserole dish with the spaghetti. apply your pie crust to coat the top. you will want to poke some holes or leave some spaces to let a little air in as it cooks.

with your oven to the degree of your crust's liking (probably around 375 degrees), put your spaghetti pot pie and wait for the crust to bake into flaky goodness.

if you'd prefer, feel free to bake yours in separate smaller ramekins for individual spaghetti pot pies. either way, i think you're going to be happy.

here are the two things i'd tweak if i made this again. one, i think individual pies would be more fun. and two, i'd add more liquid to my sauce. as the pie cooked, some of the spaghetti's liquid disappeared and it was drier than i would have liked when i went in for that first bite.

this is a novelty dish, but really, it is good and adds a little twist to your dinner plate.