This is a recipe for Pasta Nests. Spaghetti noodles are cooked then coated with egg. Using your favorite casserole dish, form the spaghetti into circles and tip with fresh Mozarella cheese and Napa Valley Tomato and Sweet Basil Sauce.
Spaghetti Nests with Mezzetta pasta sauce. This post has been sponsored by Mezzetta Brand. I have received compensation, however, all opinions are my own.
Thanks once again to my favorite food in a jar, Mezzetta. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always reached for their jars of olives and pickles, but did you know they also make pasta sauces?
Spaghetti is one of my favorite and easy weeknight meal thanks to that aisle of jarred sauces. My little secret is to buy the sauce and then doctor it up with a good Italian sausage and a sprinkle of fennel seed. That’s it…and everyone raves.
However, I don’t make that easy version often because of the ingredients listed on the labels on those jars…lots of sodium, high fructose corn syrup and some you can’t pronounce.
Mezzetta states on the front of their label “all natural” and they mean it.
I can now feel safe about serving this jarred sauce to my family. Real food. Take a look at the ingredients listed: No added sugar, California plum tomatoes, imported olive oil, fresh onions and roasted garlic, fresh basil, sea salt and spices.
How To Make Pasta Nests
For this project, I decided to put a twist on my easy stove top spaghetti and make baked pasta nests.
I used spaghetti noodles, but you can also use fettuccini or angel hair pasta.
Here are my little swirls of goodness ready for the oven.
- Cook the pasta very al la dente.
- In a large bowl, mix one egg and the pasta sauce and then pour in the spaghetti and toss well to coat.
- Using a spoon and fork, twirl the spaghetti into little nests and placed them in the baking pan.
- Pushed little balls of fresh mozzarella into the center of each nest.
- Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs and some green olives for zing.
- Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Out of the oven and ready to dig in for a perfect pasta night dinner.
One little pasta nest with a beautifully prepared fresh salad and I felt indulgent but guilt free.
Recipe for Pasta Nests
I hope you give this Spaghetti Nests Recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.
Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite spaghetti recipe using Mezzetta sauces, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
Related Recipes
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Spaghetti Pasta Nests
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 egg
- 1 25-ounce jar Mezzetta Tomato and Sweet Basil Tomato Sauce
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed dried
- 16 ounces mini fresh mozzarella balls you'll need 10 little mozzarella balls
- 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
- 10 green olives sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauce pan cook the spaghetti according to package directions, minus two minutes, so it’s very al la dente.
- In the meantime, in a large fry pan over medium heat, fry the Italian Sausage until cooked through. Drain off any grease and then stir in the entire jar of the Mezzetta pasta sauce and the fennel seed. Cook until just reheated.
- In a large mixing bowl, add one egg, beaten. Drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl with the egg and mix well. Add the sauce and stir gently.
- Using a large serving spoon and a fork, twirl the spaghetti into nests and place in a 9 x 13″ baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray.
- When all the nests are in place, push one of the mini mozzarella balls into the enter of each. Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs and sliced green olives.
- Bake until nice and steamy. 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Spaghetti Pasta Nests …They’re whats for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
So simple and creative! I’ve got to make these for my next dinner party! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Thx for the sauce info. How cute are these – my Grandson, Jack, loves to cook with me. I’ll try these with him.
I really liked that sauce Barb. Must better than what I’ve been using before.
Really great presentation. I love the addition of olives. Makes me think of my grandmother’s spaghetti.
I don’t know why I’ve never put olives on spaghetti before. I really liked it.
That is the perfect pasta night. And I love those cute little nests! I’d be chirping away after this-and maybe a bottle of wine!
I’d be chirping if I didn’t have a bottle of wine with this! 🙂
Spaghetti nests…what a great idea! Looks delicious and what a lovely presentation.
These look adorable! Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Lea Ann, love these spaghetti nests they are so creative and beautiful. This would make the most pickiest eater in our family very happy.
Good info about the sauce. This dish is not at all what I expected from reading the title. It looks and sounds delicious.
These are adorable Lea Ann. I love these kinds of recipes – indulgent and guilt free. Hope you have a lovely long weekend too.
Sam