Spaghetti's nests with mozzarella cheese

• 20 minutes prepare • 10 minutes to cook • Serves 4

10 MINUTES

 

As a food passionate, I tend to feel a lot of pressure when it comes to dinner parties.

I always have too many ideas running through my head while planning, while also constantly wondering if my dish choices will go together, if everybody will like the food, and how will I get everything done in time.
I do it to myself, as my friends are just happy that there is food at all. I constantly have to remind myself that sometimes, the simpler the better.

My all-time favorite recipe hits are usually pasta. There's something about pasta that screams ultimate comfort food.
These spaghetti nests have been in the back of my mind for a while now. I have a memory of my grandma making short pasta al forno with bechamelle and always remembered it as a fun way to mix up a typical pasta meal.

What's also great about these spaghetti nests is that they are completely customizable. Don't like red sauce? Drizzle with olive oil before baking instead, or top with a difference sauce afterwards.. Guests have different topping preferences? They can add their own as they please. You can even make these with leftover pasta and/or make ahead of time to ease pressure on the day of.

Here are ingredients for a 4-serving recipe:

320 g spaghetti pasta
1 kg ripe tomatoes
1 clove garlic
10 basil leaves
125 g mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon sugar
EVO oil
salt
breadcrumbs

1. Put two pots of water to boil and salt them
2. Use the cooking water of one pot to blanch the tomatoes for a couple of minutes; then peel them and remove their seeds. Pour 4 tablespoons of EVO oil in a pan with 1 clove of garlic; when the clove has colored a little, add the tomatoes and cook over low heat until they become soft
3. Sieve tomatoes, then put the sauce back in the pan. Cook over low heat for few minutes more, until the tomato sauce thickens, then add the basil, sugar and salt
4. Cook spaghetti al dente. Drain and pour them into the pan with the tomato sauce. Reheat for 1 minute
5. Drain and dice mozzarella cheese
6. Preheat oven to 220°C
7. In an 23 by 15-cm brownie pan, pour 2 tablespoons of EVO oil on the bottom and spread it over. Then, add breadcrumbs on top
8. Using a fork, twirl pasta into "nests" and arrange 4 large forkful of spaghetti. Over each nest, spread 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce and few dices of mozzarella cheese
9. Bake the nests at 220° for 10 minutes. Serve immediately!

Nutrition Facts are detailed in the table below. Data is provided per serving.