What I love about Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Bites
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Bites are a total crowd-pleaser! They make the perfect holiday appetizer and always get rave reviews. These bites are ooey, gooey, cheesy, and packed with flavor. Even better, they’re incredibly easy to make—always a bonus when you’re short on time.
Serve them warm, right out of the oven, for the best texture and taste. That said, they also make a satisfying afternoon snack the next day—if you manage to have any left! You can easily make them gluten-free or stick with traditional spaghetti, depending on what works best for you.
At parties, these bite-sized treats never last long. Guests love hot, hearty appetizers, and these deliver every time. For extra flavor and presentation, serve them with a side of marinara for dipping and top them with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh parsley.
If you want to save time, prep them the day before. Just layer the ingredients into a muffin tin, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. This recipe checks all the boxes—easy, delicious, and perfect for sharing.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Pasta – You can use your favourite gluten-free spaghetti noodles or just regular wheat noodles depending on your preference.
- Pasta Sauce – I used a roasted garlic pasta sauce but any kind of pasta sauce or marinara will work. Try to find one that is really good quality with simple ingredients and few preservatives.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Mozzarella cheese it what gives these little bites they’re chewy, cheesy texture. You can’t make them without it! I recommend using a firm mozzarella cheese for this recipe so that it’s easy to grate. Firm as opposed to soft/fresh mozzarella.
- Parsley – Sprinkling a little parsley over the bites before serving adds a hint of colour and flavour while also making presentation more appealing. Fresh parsley will provide the most vibrant colour.
FAQ
Yes. You can fully assemble the spaghetti bites a day in advance, cover them and store in the refrigerator overnight. Be sure to wrap them very well so they don’t dry out. I recommend covering the muffin tin with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Then, simply bake when you’re ready to serve.
Generously spray the muffin tin with olive oil before filling them. Even a nonstick tin will need to be thoroughly greased.
Yes! If you want to bulk up the sauce, you can precook any of the following: onion, peppers, spinach, Italian sausage and/or ground beef. Then, just add to the pan with the noodles and sauce and mix in before transferring to the muffin tin.
I recommend reheating any leftover spaghetti bites in the oven at 400F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Bites
Equipment
- 2 Muffin Tins
Ingredients
- olive oil spray for greasing
- 200 grams uncooked gluten-free spaghetti noodles
- 2 cups Italian marinara sauce plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmigiana cheese
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and spray a nonstick muffin tin with olive oil spray. Set aside.
- Cook the noodles as per instructions until al dente. Strain the noodles and return them to the pot along with the marinara sauce.
- Add the chilli flakes, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the bottoms of the muffin tin cups with half of the mozzarella.
- Twist the spaghetti into nests on top of the mozzarella.
- Sprinkle the spaghetti nests with parmesan cheese and then the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley and more parmesan and enjoy!
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