Description
These Baked Spaghetti Cups are a fun and delicious twist on classic spaghetti, perfect for individual servings. Packed with spinach, creamy cheeses, and rich tomato basil sauce, they make a great appetizer or a family-friendly meal that’s easy to prepare and bake in muffin tins for a convenient handheld treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Spaghetti Mixture
- 1 16oz box Barilla spaghetti
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
Toppings and Sauce
- 1 20oz jar Vero Gusto by Barilla Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (for topping)
- Cooking spray (for greasing muffin tins)
Instructions
- Cook Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool completely to prevent clumping.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tins: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease two muffin tins thoroughly with cooking spray to ensure the spaghetti cups don’t stick.
- Mix Eggs and Cream Cheese: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and whipped cream cheese until smooth and fully combined, which helps bind the pasta cups during baking.
- Combine Pasta and Cheese Mixture: Once the spaghetti is cool, add it to the egg and cream cheese mixture. Use tongs to evenly coat the pasta. Add the chopped spinach, 1 cup parmesan cheese, and all of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the bowl, folding everything together gently.
- Form Spaghetti Cups: Divide the pasta mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups, twirling a small bundle of pasta around your finger to create neat nests that fill each cup.
- Add Sauce and Parmesan: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the tomato basil pasta sauce on top of each spaghetti cup, then sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the reserved parmesan cheese over each to add flavor and a beautiful golden finish.
- Bake: Place the muffin tins in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are slightly browned.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and let the spaghetti cups cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes to firm up. Gently remove each cup from the tin and serve warm, optionally with extra tomato basil sauce on the side.
Notes
- Ensure the spaghetti is completely cool before mixing with the egg mixture to prevent scrambling the eggs.
- Use cooking spray generously to avoid sticking in the muffin tins.
- Spinach can be substituted with other greens like kale or arugula if preferred.
- These cups can be made ahead and warmed up in the oven for a quick meal.
- Adding herbs like basil or oregano into the mix can enhance flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Baked Spaghetti Cups, spaghetti nests, baked pasta, individual spaghetti servings, Italian baked recipe, cheesy spaghetti cups
