Using homemade pasta nests, you can easily make these fun spaghetti muffins that are perfect for a buffet or a children's party. You can also use fettuccine or tagliatelle, fresh homemade pasta doesn't need to be precooked. Assemble them, bake them, and they are ready to be served. Top them with small mozzarella balls or quail eggs and celebrate Spring or Easter with these mini edible bird's nests.

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To make these muffins you don't need to pre-cook the spaghetti as it uses fresh pasta nets. You can either make them at homemade or buy them. The nests are directly composed into the muffin tin and baked.
They are like mini lasagne but made with spaghetti, tagliatelle or fettuccine so they look like nests. They can be served at a buffet or a children's party.
All the base ingredients, homemade pasta nests, ragu o Bolognese sauce, and bechamel can be made the day before.
On the day you want to serve them you just need to compose and bake them.
Homemade fresh spaghetti
Because this recipe uses homemade fresh spaghetti, you don't need to pre-boil the spaghetti.
Although you should only use 12 oz - 350 gr of spaghetti as from the recipe. If you use more the muffins will be packed and dry.
It is not difficult to make homemade spaghetti with the right tools and you can find the recipe here: Homemade Italian pasta recipe.
However, you don't need to make them if you don't have time. You can buy them already made at most supermarkets or specialty shops.
They have to be fresh spaghetti, not the dried ones. You can also use fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine.
If you cannot find fresh pasta, you can use dried spaghetti but you will have to pre-boil them for half of the time written on the box.
Ragu or Bolognese sauce
To season the spaghetti I make a Ragu sauce and mix it with Bechamel and heavy cream to make the sauce fluid and creamy.
The spaghetti muffins come out like little lasagna that children will surely love.
Although you can use any other sauce you like, simple tomato sauce if you prefer a vegetarian version, a Norma sauce with fried eggplants or porcini mushrooms, bacon, and peas.
Other ingredients you need
As mentioned above you will need bechamel sauce and heavy cream to make the ragu or Bolognese creamier and fluid.
Because you don't pre-boil the spaghetti, you need a very fluid sauce.
To add to the flavors I added Parmesan and Basil and to coat the muffin pan some olive oil and breadcrumbs.
I wanted these muffins to look like birth nests for Easter so I decorated them with some fresh basil leaves to add some green and mozzarella bites that look like eggs.
Let your imagination go and you can choose some other toppings like quail eggs, meatballs, or small sausages.
Making the Ragu sauce in the pressure cooker
To speed up the process I make my Ragu sauce in the pressure cooker. I use 9 oz - 250 gr of lean mincemeat, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion and 2 cups - 500 gr of tomato sauce.
I use more tomato sauce that I would normally use to make the Ragu very liquid.
- Stir fry the onion, carrot, and celery to make a soffritto, add the meat.
- Stir the meat until it is all brown.
- Add the tomato sauce and the beef stock, stir and close the pressure pan.
- Once the pressure is built, the sauce has to cook for only 30 minutes.
N:B: If you don't have a pressure cooker the sauce should simmer for 2 hours.
Making Béchamel: White Roux
You need a small quantity of Bechamel: 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of flour and ½ cup - 120 ml of milk.
- Stir for 1 or 2 minutes the flour and the butter in a pan over low heat with a wooden spoon to create a white roux.
- Remove from the heat and gradually add the warm milk making sure no lumps are formed.
- Put back on the heat and bring to boil stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat and keep stirring, until it thickens.
- Add salt and nutmeg at the end.
Preparing the sauce
- In a bowl mix all the ingredients to make the sauce: ragu, bechamel, heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan, and chopped basil leaves. Leave some Parmesan and basil aside for the topping.
Assembling the muffins
- Grease the cups of a muffins pan with olive oil using a brush to spread it evenly
- Coat the cups with breadcrumbs
- Pour in each cup 1 tablespoon of the prepared sauce
- Place the spaghetti nests on top
- Top the spaghetti with more sauce
- Sprinkle more Parmesan and drizzle some olive oil
Bake and serve
- Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 30 minutes
- Place the muffins on a tray
- Decorate with basil leaves
- Top them with mozzarella bites and serve
More savoury muffins recipes
If you would like to have more ideas for savory muffins you will find on the blog:
If you liked this recipe you may also like Pasta a frittata
If you are making these Italian pasta nests spaghetti muffins, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋 Homemade Pasta Nests Spaghetti Muffins
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
To make the spaghetti
- 1 lb fresh homemade spaghetti
- 12 mozzarella bites
To make the ragu
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 9 oz mincemeat
- 2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cube stock
For the bechamel
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
For the sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped basil leaves
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
For the pan
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
Instructions
Making the Ragu
- Stir fry the onion, carrot, and celery to make a soffritto, add the meat.2 teaspoon olive oil, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery
- Stir the meat until it is all brown.9 oz mincemeat
- Add the tomato sauce and the beef stock, stir and close the pressure pan.2 cup tomato sauce, 1 cube stock
- Once the pressure is built, the sauce has to cook for only 30 minutes. N:B: If you don't have a pressure cooker the sauce should simmer for 2 hours.
Making Béchamel: White Roux
- Stir for 1 or 2 minutes the flour and the butter in a pan over low heat with a wooden spoon to create a white roux.1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon flour
- Remove from the heat and gradually add the warm milk making sure no lumps are formed.½ cup Milk
- Put back on the heat and bring to boil stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat and keep stirring, until it thickens.
- Add salt and nutmeg at the end.1 pinch salt, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Preparing the sauce
- In a bowl mix all the ingredients to make the sauce: ragu, bechamel, heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan, and chopped basil leaves. Leave some Parmesan and basil aside for the topping.½ cup heavy cream, 1 cup chopped basil leaves, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Assembling the muffins
- Grease the cups of a muffins pan with olive oil using a brush to spread it evenly4 tablespoon olive oil
- Coat the cups with breadcrumbs¼ cup breadcrumbs
- Pour in each cup 1 tablespoon of the prepared sauce
- Place the spaghetti nests on top1 lb fresh homemade spaghetti
- Top the spaghetti with more sauce
- Sprinkle more Parmesan and drizzle some olive oil
Bake and serve
- Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 30 minutes
- Place the muffins on a tray and decorate with basil leaves1 cup chopped basil leaves
- Top them with mozzarella bites and serve12 mozzarella bites
Video
Notes
- Don't use more than 12 oz - 350 gr of spaghetti otherwise the nest will be too packed and dry
- You can also use tagliatelle or fettuccine but they have to be fresh, not the dried ones
- If you are using dried pasta you will need to pre-biol it for half of the time written in the package
- You can use any other sauce but make sure it is liquid enough to cook the spaghetti while baking them
Biana
These pasta nests are so fun and perfect for spring! Kids are going to love them.
Laura
Thank you, I am sure they will
Nicole Durham
This was a huge hit with the kids and adults. We already like spaghetti and love baked spaghetti so this muffin recipe was a no-brainer. I like how many different veggies snuck their way into the diets too. 😉
Laura
I am glad to hear. Yes plenty of veggies
Beth
These are so cute Laura! Can't wait to give them a try!
Laura
Thank you Beth
Charla
I cannot wait to try this recipe because I know my family will love it.
Laura
Thank you, I am sure they will
Claudia Lamascolo
Very clever the kids are going to love these, I am going to make them tomorrow they look so delicious and easy thanks for the recipe and Happy Easter!
Laura
Thank you and happy Easter to you
Michelle
Delicious! I love the creaminess you added with the bechamel.
Laura
Thank you