Pasta Cupcakes

Name: Pasta Cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: Vegetable cooking spray; 2 cups dried bread crumbs, divided; 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 8 ounces ground turkey or chicken, preferably dark meat; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning; 8 ounces small pasta, such as Nodi Marini; 2 cups grated Parmesan; 1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar; 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered; 2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces; 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

30 MINPrep Time

20 MINCook Time

20 to 24 cupsServings

by Giada

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

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When I was growing up, my mom had this amazing knack of turning leftover pasta into something new entirely. She would usually do something like a pizza di spaghetti, which is more similar to a frittata. These pasta cupcakes are a spin on my mom’s creations that Jade and I came up with together. I used to make them all the time for her for her school lunches, and she still loves them now.

The beauty of this recipe is you really can customize it to your tastes: feel free to use ground sausage in place of the ground turkey, add different veggies or different cheese. It’s a perfect way to use up odds and ends that you have left in the fridge, for example!

You can even freeze these little cups and heat them up whenever you need a quick hearty snack--it’s a great thing to have on hand.

Pasta Cupcakes

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups dried bread crumbs, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

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8 ounces ground turkey or chicken, preferably dark meat
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
8 ounces small pasta, such as Nodi Marini
2 cups grated Parmesan

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1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 (12-cup) muffin or cupcake pans with vegetable cooking spray. Using 1 cup of the bread crumbs, coat the inside of each muffin cup with bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey or chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the cooked turkey and the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the prepared pasta mixture into the cupcake molds, filling evenly to about 2/3 full. Arrange a few pieces of tomato, broccoli and asparagus into each cup.
Top with a thin layer of the remaining bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, and carefully unmold with a spoon onto a serving platter.