Spaghetti Bolognese Stuffed Pizza

OK, this is definitely something for the record books. It's not pizza. It's not spaghetti Bolognese. And it's not a calzone. It's ALL those things in one insane pan. I've gone a little crazy before - but this time you will SWOON over the result. Crisp, golden pizza crust wrapped around tender spaghetti in a rich Bolognese sauce. Oh, and there's cheese too. Lots of cheese. Gooey mozzarella in the filling and nutty, crunchy parmesan on top. Store-bought dough, easy Bolognese - you can do this in a flash. I promise.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my son's girlfriend. She mentioned a place where they actually stuff spaghetti into a calzone. I said, "WHA...?" Followed by, "I'm totally doing that." But I didn't end up shaping this into a calzone. Mostly because it would have been too heavy to move from the counter to the pan - but also because I thought, "If I'm going to have trouble moving it, so will my readers." Hence the version in a baking pan. Foolproof.

About the dough: You guys probably know that I almost always use frozen bread dough for recipes like this. But this week, I noticed fresh pizza dough in the deli section of my grocery. I grabbed that and used it instead. It was REALLY awesome - much more pizza-like than the frozen bread dough. And I didn't have to worry about overnight thawing (which I sometimes forget to do). You can find fresh pizza dough in most grocery stores these days, so I suggest that. You can also buy it from your favorite pizza shop. You need about 1 pound of dough (which is the way it's sold).

Spaghetti Bolognese Stuffed Pizza

Cooking spray
1/4 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups tomato sauce (from a carton or can)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound refrigerated or frozen bread dough, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. If necessary, drain away any fat and return the beef to the pan. Add the oregano, basil, onion powder, and garlic powder and stir to coat. Cook for 30 seconds, until the herbs are fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roll the dough out into a large circle (it doesn't have to be perfectly round), about 12 inches in diameter. Place the dough in the prepared pan, with half in the bottom of the pan and the other half hanging over the side. Top the bottom half with the mozzarella cheese, to within 1-inch of the edges. Top the cheese with the pasta and meat sauce. Fold over the dough to cover the filling and pinch around the edges to seal.
Brush the dough all over with the olive oil. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is puffed up and golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 4