Baked spaghetti and meatball cups are fun, handheld, portable recipe with leftover spaghetti and meatballs!! A great leftover pasta recipe.
I'm all about fun lunch boxes!! Well, I try:)
Don't these baked spaghetti and meatball cups look fun and EASY to eat at school rather than trying to twirl the leftover spaghetti?
These have been a favorite around here for a long time. I'm not sure about your home, but we always end up with leftover pasta after dinner and instead of reheating it the next day and eating as is, my kids love fun creations.
Not a brand-new-break-the-internet idea. Just a family favorite - Spaghetti Muffin
Why are these baked spaghetti nests gonna be your family's favorite too?
- Portable
- Hand held
- Carbs, protein, veggies (yes, those chicken meatballs have cauliflower and carrots in them) and cheese <--- all in one
- Great for meal prep
- School lunch box winner
My children love interesting lunches for school. Who doesn't, right? Nobody wants to eat pb&j everyday.
Ingredients needed for this leftover spaghetti recipe:
- Cooked spaghetti
- Jarred marinara sauce
- Cooked and cooled meatballs (smaller meatballs work better). I used these Healthyish Baked Chicken meatballs
- Cheese - mozzarella and parmesan
How to make these baked spaghetti and meatball cups?
Step-1: Use cooked and cooled spaghetti - Cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water (this will prevent it from sticking to each other). Let cool to room temperature or can be stored in the refrigerator.
Step-2: Toss spaghetti with egg, marinara sauce and cheese.
Step-3: Snuggle them into muffin cups with indentation in the middle for a meatball.
Step-4: Place a meatball in the middle
Step-5: Spoon some sauce over it
Step-6: Sprinkle some (actually a LOT) of cheese on top.
Step-7: Bake and enjoy.
How to eat these spaghetti cups?
Eat them hot/warm with a side of broccoli and cheese and garlic bread for dinner
Meal prep for the week - Make a batch over the weekend and store in the refrigerator <-- pack into lunch boxes or at-home-lunch or snack for the kids. Warm in the microwave just before eating.
Can I make baked spaghetti nests without meatballs?
Of course! Pack the prepared spaghetti into the muffin pan (do not leave any indentation for the meatballs), top with marinara sauce, cheese and bake <---- A great leftover spaghetti recipe.
Can I make these with spaghetti with meat sauce or just marinara sauce already mixed in?
Again YES. Proceed as with making without meatballs and skip the sauce on top. Add cheese and proceed.
Can I make these with leftover spaghetti and meatballs?
Seperate spaghetti and meatballs separately. Proceed with the recipe but skip the sauce topping.
Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Cups
Ingredients
- 6 ounces spaghetti, cooked and cooled
- 1 egg, whisked to combine
- 2 and ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 to 2 cups jarred marinara sauce, I used Prego, divided
- 12 cooked meatballs, I used these Healthyish Baked Chicken Meatballs
- chopped fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Liberally spray a 12-cup standard muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Toss cooked and cooled spaghetti (cold spaghetti from refrigerator works well too) with beaten egg, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan and ¼ to ½ cup marinara sauce ( I used ¼ cup, since my kids are not huge fans of tomato sauce) together in a large bowl. Portion into the muffin pan, packing each cup like a nest with some space in the middle to place meatball (refer pictures).
- Place a cooked meatball into each cup and spoon about 1-2 tablepsoons marinara sauce on top of each meatball.
- Liberally sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan on top of each spaghetti and meatball cup.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and top begins to get golden.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool slightly before removing the cups. Run a butter knife around the edges to gently loosen and then remove each cup.
- Serve hot or warm or pack into lunch boxes.
Notes
Can I make baked spaghetti nests without meatballs?
Of course! Pack the prepared spaghetti into the muffin pan (do not leave any indentation for the meatballs), top with marinara sauce, cheese and bake <---- A great leftover spaghetti recipe.Can I make these with spaghetti with meat sauce or just marinara sauce already mixed in?
Again YES. Proceed as with making without meatballs and skip the sauce on top. Add cheese and proceed. Can I make these with leftover spaghetti and meatballs? Seperate spaghetti and meatballs separately. Proceed with the recipe but skip the sauce topping.Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Ooooh I know you made these for putting in the lunch boxes, but I am loving this fun idea for dinner!! My family would love these!
Kim Lange
I would love these all day long. I'm a spaghetti fanatic, so this is a cool spin on it Maria! Easy too! 🙂
Paul
Oh wow this looks so yummy!
We always have leftover pasta at home and this is a great fun way to use it!
Maria Doss
Thank you Paul:)
Ashika | Gardening Foodie
Maria, I love this recipe, it is such a perfect lunchbox idea. It really looks delicious and so much easier to eat too 🙂
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
these look so tasty! love all the melty crusty cheese on top (:
Molly
Are these easy to get out of the muffin tins? Should I use a muffin liner?
Maria Doss
Hi Molly, I tested this recipe both with and without a muffin liner. The spaghetti cups using a muffin liner didn't crisp up and was a touch soggy whereas ones without the liners had a wonderful exterior. And, if the muffin pan is greased well on all sides and running a knife around each spaghetti cup to loosen, they come out without any resistance. Hope it helps:)
Kristine
These are amazing. Thank you for the awesome spin on leftover spaghetti. My boys love them and they are 20 and 23.
Maria Doss
Glad to hear that:)
Susie
I tried these tonight using a mix of zucchini spirals and spaghetti squash instead of the pasta. While the squash was more wet than noodles would be and made the cups a bit soft, the flavor is still great! I even used reduced fat cheese and loved it.
Beth
Can I freeze this to have lunches made ahead?
Maria Doss
Absolutely! If possible, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a couple of hours at room temperature before air frying, baking or microwaving to reheat - Maria♡