It’s hard to find a kid who doesn’t like spaghetti and meatballs. The only problem? Those noodles can make a mess at parties. So why not turn them into finger food? Is that even possible? I wondered. Then I stumbled upon an old Giada de Laurentiis video, where she recalled using leftover noodles, egg and parm to create little “nests” in springform pans. Bingo!
Riffing on that—and trading springform for muffin tins, so they’re more bite-sized and less fussy to create—I developed this easy, kid-friendly appetizer. While you can pick them up and eat them with your hands, you’ll likely want to serve them with tiny plates and forks. Still, since the noodles stick together, you can cut into them, making for easy bites.
What to Serve with Spaghetti & Meatball Nests:
Definitely serve them with a side of sauce, and I’d recommend offering little bowls of torn, fresh basil and shredded Parm to garnish on top, if anyone’s feeling fancy. (Consider it like a baked potato bar…only for pasta.)
They work well as an appetizer, but you could also serve a few per person and turn it into an entree. In that case, I’d recommend serving them with roasted veggies or a hearty salad (like this garlicky kale number).
How to Store & Reheat Spaghetti and Meatball Nests:
These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days, and while they can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven. (I just pop them in the oven then hit preheat to 350 degrees F—once the alarm sounds that it’s up to temp, I take ’em out, and they’re thoroughly warmed.)
Just note that the noodles get a bit crispy around the edges and they definitely dry out, so serving with extra sauce is a must.
Spaghetti & Meatball Nests
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 box (8 oz.) spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 12 frozen meatballs, thawed
- torn, fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. As it heats, spritz cooking spray (or use butter) to grease the bottom and sides of the cups of a muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, egg and Parm. Beat with a fork to break up the egg and really mix it all together. Use tongs to add in the cooked spaghetti noodles, tossing them all in the mixture. Once coated, add in 1 1/2 cups of the spaghetti sauce, coating them in that as well. (Set aside the rest of the sauce for serving.)
- Use a fork to twirl a bunch of the noodles into a ball, placing each "nest" of noodles into a cup of the muffin tin. It should fill it about 3/4 of the way up. Nestle a frozen meatball in the center.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Let cool before removing the nests from the muffin tin. Serve with additional spaghetti sauce and fresh basil, for garnishing on top.
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