Search
Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Bites
This recipe turns the traditional comfort-food meal into party-ready, individual servings of spaghetti and meatballs. Baked spaghetti and meatball bites are a fun way to celebrate movie night – turn on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and enjoy!
Prep Time: 20 mins 
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Serves: Party Size
Yield: 18 spaghetti cups
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds Italian Sausage, removed from casing
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup grated yellow onion
- ¼ cup Frigo® Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Spaghetti Cups:
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken into quarters
- 2 cups Frigo® Low Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella, shredded, divided
- ¼ cup Frigo® Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Parsley or chopped fresh basil, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly mist 2 mini-muffin tins and 2 classic-sized muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients and mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Gather about 2 teaspoons of meat mixture and roll into balls. Set the balls in the prepared mini-muffin tins and put them in the oven to bake for 10 minutes at 400° F.
While the meatballs bake, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the broken spaghetti pieces according to package directions for al dente. Drain, rinse, and place into a large bowl.
When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven, and place them in a saucepot with 3 cups of marinara sauce. Heat the meatballs and sauce over low heat on the stovetop, just to keep it all warm. Stir occasionally.
When the pasta is cooled enough to handle, gently mix together with 1 cup Frigo® Low Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella, Frigo® Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian Seasoning, minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and 3 tablespoons marinara sauce until thoroughly combined.
Place about ¼ cup of the spaghetti mixture into each cup of the classic-sized muffin tin. Using the base of a shot glass or your fingers, press down on the center and up the sides of the spaghetti, forming divots in the center of the spaghetti cups. Spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce into each of the divots of the spaghetti cups. Place a meatball in the center and top with a pinch of shredded Frigo® Low Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella. Place the prepared muffin tins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400° F or until spaghetti cups are cooked through and cheese is melted and bubbly.
When the spaghetti cups are done, remove them from the oven and allow to cool and set up for 5 minutes before removing them from the tin. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh chopped herbs and serve with a side of extra sauce and meatballs for guests to use as desired.
Rad Tips: This recipe is perfect for kid’s parties! These little spaghetti cups are an affordable and less messy option to serving traditional spaghetti and meatballs. You can also make them ahead. Just hold the sauce and cooked meatballs in one airtight container and the spaghetti cups in another. Assemble and bake off right before serving.
