SPAGHETTI PIE

SPAGHETTI PIE
butter for greasing springform
300 g back bacon, fried until crisp and cut into small pieces
500 g dried spaghetti
1.5 c cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 – 3 t ground black pepper
2 t coarse (or kosher salt)
225 g aged pecorino cheese, finely grated, divided
225 g fontina cheese, grated, divided

Heat oven to 220°C. Butter a 22 cm springform pan and this is very important: wrap the outside of the springform, focusing on the places where the ring meets the base, tightly in aluminum foil. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until (this is also important) 2 minutes shy of done, so very al dente, as the spaghetti will continue cooking in the oven. Drain well and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream together with salt and pepper. Stir in all but 1/2 cup of each cheese and the bacon. Add spaghetti and toss to coat.
Pour into prepared springform and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and a knife inserted into the center of the pie and turned slightly will not release any loose egg batter into the center. If the top of your pie browns too quickly before the center is set, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time.
You can grill it for a few more minutes after if top not browned enough.
Cut along springform ring to loosen, then remove ring. Run a spatula underneath the pie to loosen the base and slide onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges.
Photo: Angela Landsberg