Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie

Tonight I am cleaning out the fridge by making a Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie.
I just made 2 cups of homemade mayonnaise, also to use up the eggs. I can freeze egg whites but not so much the yolks.

If I didn't have too much to already do I would make Egg Pasta and freeze the dough but right now I am eating.....what else?

Yup, an egg salad burrito.....lol

Today is iron and start packing day. Before I came down for my coffee I pulled all my tops and shorts out of the closet to check for stains or cat hairs (ChaCha loves to sleep in my closet).

I bought a box of Space Bag Travel bags.

I love these bags. I put all my under garments in 1 bag (bra, panties, socks and stockings), my tee's in another and my shorts in a 3rd. I do the same for The Nudge's stuff.

When you arrive at your destination you simply pop the seal, pull out the items and there is no wrinkling. It is a wonderful thing. Since Key West is very casual, even the high class restaurants except dress shorts. I bought a pair white and sage green clam diggers for dressier places and 4 shorts for every day. Packing for 11 days can get excessive so I have found that sticking to only 11 tops stops you from over packing, and I have done that many times for cruises. If you are careful you can wear a t-shirt once in the beginning of the week, hang it up and wear it again at the end of the week.
I have a travel Febreze that I bring with me and a downy wrinkle remover.

I also bring at least 2 t-shirts that are a print so if something gets on it you won't notice if stain removal is not 100% effective. And yes, I bring a stain stick too. Along with a travel lint remover and a package of Woolite for washing garments in the sink. I do insist on 12 pairs of panties and briefs, which will give you 2 extra ones, because your travel day is not included in what you pack.

Remember, you have the ability to wash delicates in the sink or just send a load down to the hotel's laundry halfway into the week.

Now, for dinner.....a tasty pie made with spaghetti and eggs. I have made this before but I will use more pasta this time. The last pie was more eggy because I didn't add cheese to it and this time I am making the sauce with the sausage but removing it and mixing it in with the pie for more flavor. The sauce is a bonus. What I do not use I will freeze for after vacation.

Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie
Serves 4-6

* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 pound Italian sausage, 4 links (sweet or hot) casings removed
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 3 tablespoons each minced fresh parsley & basil
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I add two more pinches to give it a kick!)
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
* 4 eggs
* 2 oz cream cheese
* 8 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces (I used half of a 16 ounce package–Thin spaghetti–not Angel Hair– but you can use regular )
* 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
* 1 roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2"x1" strips
* 1/2 green pepper, diced
* 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
* freshly ground black pepper
* salt to taste

Sauce:
1. Saute sausage on medium heat 8 minutes. Remove to bowl lined with paper towels to drain off the fat.
2. Saute onion and when almost cooked, remove half to a bowl. Add green peppers to the other half in pan. Saute until soft. Remove to bowl and cool.
3. Add another tablespoon oil, add back in half the batch of just onions and saute garlic, pepper flakes, oregano, basil and parsley with them.
4. Once browned, add sausage back in and stir in crushed tomatoes, water and salt.
Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and prepare frying pan.

Pie:
1. Add broken spaghetti to peppers and onion saute with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cover for 8 minutes.
2. After 8 minutes, stir pasta so the noodles won’t stick together. Reduce heat to medium low simmer for 6 more minutes until pasta is al dente (almost cooked but still a little firm).
Add cream cheese and melt.
3. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, stir well.
4. Pour in eggs, cover and cook until they set or bake in a 350F oven for 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, put in oven to broil until spotty brown. (stand there and keep watch or set a timer for 3 minutes at a time until it’s ready, or else you may end up with Blackened Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!)

Serve with sauce on the side and a salad.