Baked Spaghetti Nests

Simple Baked Spaghetti Nests – angel hair pasta casserole that makes an easy yet elegant dinner for date night or entertaining guests.

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As probably most people, 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.

Also, where’s the wine?!

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. Especially as the weather starts to get colder, there’s something about pasta that screams ultimate comfort food.

These angel hair spaghetti nests have been in the back of my mind for a while now.

I have a memory of my grandma making them and always remembered it as a fun way to mix up a typical spaghetti meal. I like using angel hair pasta as it is is the thinnest, so it cooks quickly.

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.

Also, don’t forget the wine to elevate the experience! Side note: These pictures were originally taken with a bottle of Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon in the background, though I now almost exclusively drink the natural wines from Dry Farm Wines.

Many spaghetti nest recipes will have you mix-in more ingredients to the actual pasta before baking. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible, so the base recipe here is angel hair + sauce + egg.

Like I mentioned above, you can also leave out the sauce and use a little olive oil instead

The egg holds the nests together, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t use it. You will just end up with nests that are a bit “messier.” Of course, I tried it. The picture above is before baking, with egg.

This picture (below) is from another batch before baking, without using an egg. Can you see the difference?

So yes, it still works – but they hold together much nicer and also tend to be crispier with the egg as a binder.

Use a fork to twirl the pasta around into a nest shape. I made each one from about 1/3 cup angel hair. Then pop in a couple mozzarella balls, and bake until lightly browned.

Toppings can include basil, olives, spinach, more cheese, or whatever your heart desires.

You can even arrange the nests into fun shapes if it suits your party theme!

P.S. I have also made a gluten-free version of these pasta nests using spaghetti squash!