The Briny Lemon: Skillet-Baked Spaghetti with Sausage and Mushrooms

I really like baked spaghetti, and I’ve found that baking it in a cast-iron skillet brings out the best in the dish—well browned, a little crispy on the edges, set in the middle just right. Yes, you can get good results from a nonstick, oven-proof pan, but I’m biased toward cast iron. It's so good for so many things.

When baking pasta, I normally use some kind of cheese as a binder to hold it and the other ingredients together in the oven, but I saw a recipe in Cooking Light magazine that recommended tossing the hot pasta with beaten eggs before stirring the meat and vegetables into it. I like that. And it worked wonderfully—the thick egg mixture clung to the hot noodles, already thickening before everything else was added. Perfect.

Here’s an easy, no-fuss meal that’s full of warm, down-home, spaghetti-dinner flavor—nobody can’t love it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large eggs
6 oz thin spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup finely shredded Italian cheese blend, divided

Prepared Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and lightly beat.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water until almost al dente, 5 minutes. Drain and place in the bowl with the eggs, tossing to coat.

Egg and Pasta Mixture

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the sausage and onion and cook until browned, stirring to crumble, 6 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook until some of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally, 11-12 minutes.
Add the sausage mixture to the pasta and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture back to the skillet and press lightly to even the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.