Crunchy Spaghetti Nests

Have you ever made spaghetti nests? They are ever so cute, quick to make and most importantly, very tasty!
Spaghetti are cooked very al dente, tomato sauce is added and then they are baked in the oven with a topping of mozzarella or any other cheese you like. I have added some olives too and sprinkled breadcrumbs on top for extra crunchiness.
A recipe to try which would be perfect for a dinner party or just as a mid week easy meal. Also the nests look cute and as we all know the eyes must be pleased too!
- Prep Time : 20 minutes
- Cook Time : 10 minutes
Ingredients
- spaghetti - 400 g - 14 oz
- tomato sauce - 300 ml - 10 fl oz
- basil leaves - a handful
- olive oil
- garlic cloves - 2
- salt and pepper
- dried oregano - 1 tbsp
- breadcrumbs - 3 tbsp
- mixed olives - a few
- mozzarella - 1 ball
Instructions
In a saucepan bring some salty water to the boil.
Switch the oven on at 190C or 370F.
Prepare the sauce; stir fry the garlic cloves with 2 tbsp of olive oil; then add the tomato sauce, the oregano, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes.
When the water boils cook the spaghetti very al dente. This means for a couple of minutes less than it says on the packet.
Drain and put them back in the pan, add the sauce and stir well.
Now let's make the nests: help yourself with a spoon. Get a forkful of spaghetti then twist it on a large spoon to form the nest. Line it up on a greased baking tray
Cut the mozzarella into cubes and put a cube into each nest with some sliced olives. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Put in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the mozzarella has melted and the spaghetti is crunchy.
Garnish with basil leaves and enjoy 🙂
These look really fun! I bet kids would enjoy eating them as well as adults!
Yes they are great for kids. Thanks Mimi.
Che delizia questi spaghetti, sono molto appetitosi, mi piacerebbe assaggiare un nido, complimenti, sono molto sfiziosi preparati così! Un abbraccio!
aww I love this recipe dear!! I have to make for Dito (my son adore spaguettis) look beautiful!
ciao
What a great treat! I think these would make a wonderful party appetizer. Something very different.
Hi Alida,
These are the cutest nests I have ever seen! This dish is so simple but so attractive, and as you said it has to be pleasing to the eyes as well as tastes good! I am definitely going to make this one for sure. I have a few olives left from my broccoli dish. The best thing about this dish for me is that I love spaghetti crunchy from the oven. Thanks for sharing this one! Have a glorious day dear friend!
Dottie 🙂
They are easy to make Dottie and tasty. I recommend them. Ciao!
Yes I will make them again. My children really loved them and that always helps!
Reminds me of my mum who used to pan fry leftover spaghetti to make a type of rosti. Definitely worth breaking the diet for! Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare I love seeing your recipes.
Leftover spaghetti can be quite versatile and tasty! Thanks Lucy.
Made something similar before, but not as good as yours. They look really delicious and inviting, Alida.
I LOVE these Alida. My daughter would love them too. I hope they work as well with gluten free spaghetti, because I am going to have to try them!
I have never seen this done!!! Will give it a shot this weekend! Buon weekend at te bella!!!!!
What a clever idea, I love this. They look really pretty
These look so delicious and a great alternative to regular spaghetti. This is a must try! x #tastytuesdays
Thank you Kirsty!
Oh I love these! They look amazing and I know the kids would love them for a change. Great idea!!
Thank you Vicky! Children love this. Hope you are well xx
LOVE the look of these, what a great and attractive way of serving spaghetti! #tastytuesdays
Love your spaghetti nests, my daughter would go wild for these I’m sure – put on the to do list!
Thank you Camilla. They are great for children!
Added a twist (pun intended =P) to the usual spag dish. MAde it more fun and this looks yum! #TastyTuesday
Lol, I use to make my kids Spaghetti nests all the time when they were young. Actually, even when they got older they would ask for them. I wonder if they remember. I’ll have to ask them. Thanks for the reminder, Alida…Yours look like fun and I’m sure taste even better!!!
Thanks for sharing, Alida…Pinning…
Thank you!
Brilliant idea 🙂
These look great, Alida. I’m on a bit of a low carb diet right now though, but maybe just one would be a good portion. I love basil, and I love the looks of your sauce.
I would love to make this dish, but I live in the Netherlands so we don’t work with tablespoons. We work in grams. So I would love to know how many grams oregano and breadcrumbs you use for this dish.
Thanks 😀
Hello,
It’s about 1.70 grams of oregano and 35 grams of breadcrumbs.
Hi!
Just discovered your recipe! What a wonderful idea! Can these be made ahead before the guests arrive for a party?
Yes they can, you just need to warm them up when you guests arrive.