The gravity-defying Spaghetti & Cheese Toastie: A New Zealand Epic

I came, I saw, I slurped — a sandwich?

In 2019 my husband and I went on an epic road trip through New Zealand with his family. We piled into a van with his mother, father, brother and brother’s partner and accomplished a nine-day tour of the North Island. Needless to say, it was at the same time amazing and frustrating, bewildering and marvellous (aren’t all family road trips?). But this story isn’t about the road trip — I’ll save that for another time — this story is about one particular sandwich.

A spaghetti and cheese sandwich — or should I say toastie?

One of my favourite parts of the New Zealand road trip was the abundance of roadside cafes offering up very good espresso drinks, pastries and meals. They were everywhere. It seemed like every pit stop, whether for gas or a pee break, was paired with a fantastic flat white, a buttery shortbread cookie or a sandwich packed with fresh local ingredients. I am giving major props to New Zealand’s cafe culture; it’s on another level.

But let’s get back to the toastie. 

The Spaghetti and Cheese Toastie and Te Poi Cafe counter.

On day three of our trip, we were gearing up for our drive to Rotorua and its geothermal spas when we stopped at yet another unassuming cafe, Te Poi Cafe, about ten minutes outside Matamata after a night at Hobbiton, where I puked (also another story for another time), for a quick bite and a coffee.

“You’re not ordering that,” exclaimed an incredulous Adam when I read the menu item aloud. “We’re taking it to go, you’ll spill it all over yourself and the van.”

Immediately I took this as a challenge and ordered the spaghetti and cheese toasted sandwich.

And then Adam ate his words while I ate the delicious sandwich without spilling a drop.

Mic drop, belly full.

Actual photographic evidence of me demolishing the sandwich without spilling.

How did I accomplish this gravity-defying task you might ask? Well, the truth lies in the construction of the sandwich, something that I have thought about when trying to re-create this unique and beloved NZ toastie. It’s all about making sure that you don’t overfill the sandwich, and about using room-temperature (or cold) spaghetti.

And before you ask, “What’s the difference between a grilled cheese and a toastie?” there is a real difference. While both at their core are toasted bread with melty cheese sandwiched between, in New Zealand and Australia the beloved toasties are usually made with a sandwich press or a toastie maker as opposed to a grilled cheese which is made in a skillet.

Five years later, I still think about that spaghetti and cheese sandwich now and then and finally decided to dedicate some time to re-creating it. A quick Google search brought up recipes for the dish and I also asked around a bit to some NZ friends and discovered that it is a thing — granted it’s probably only on a few cafe menus, but many have fond memories of eating these at home.

And so here is my rendition of Te Poi Cafe’s spaghetti and cheese toastie. Wishing you all the luck with your gravity-defying sandwich endeavours (and any family road trips on the horizon).

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Spaghetti & Cheese Toastie

This sandwich is comfort food on overdrive — my rendition of the New Zealand spaghetti and cheese toastie is filled with three different types of cheese for the ultimate ooey-gooey factor.

Serving: Makes 2 sandwiches

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of your favourite bread, I used thinly sliced sourdough

• 1 cup grated cheese (a mix of mozza, parmesan and cheddar)

• 1 398ml can of spaghetti 

• Butter 

• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Grate the cheeses and set aside.

2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat.

3. Butter both sides of each slice of bread (trust me, it helps everything stay together, and taste delicious) on lay them out on a cutting board.

4. Spoon the canned spaghetti in the middle of the slice of bread — make sure not to overfill or put it too close to the sides or it will spill out when cooking. Sprinkle with grated cheeses and top with fresh ground pepper.

5. Place in the frying pan or if you’re lucky a heated toastie/grilled cheese maker and cook like you would a grilled cheese — cook for 3 minutes on one side or until the bread is evenly golden and crisp on one side, pressing down lightly with a spatula now and then so it stays even.

6. Flip the sandwich and cook for another 3 minutes until the bread is golden and the grated cheese inside is melted and gooey.

7. Transfer toasties to a cutting board let rest for at least one minute then cut and enjoy!

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