Spaghetti nests

This idea is borrowed - thanks Barb! This is really a serving idea, rather than a recipe, but if you have children this will go down a treat. It's also an excellent way to use up extra pasta - even if said pasta is a bit dried up and stuck together.

What you'll need

Serves 4 (3 nests each, 12 nests in all.)

Half a packet of spaghetti (or other pasta type) cooked and drained

1 x 750g jar prepared spaghetti sauce of your choice, poured into a bowl

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large ball fresh Mozzarella, torn into 12 pieces

Fresh basil, finely chopped

You will need 12 pieces on non-stick baking paper, measuring 30cm x 30cm

What to do

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Prepare the pasta nests. Arrange all your ingredients on the benchtop.

Place a rough handful of pasta into the middle of one sheet of baking paper.  Generously spoon over some of the prepared pasta sauce, sprinkle with some Parmesan, Mozzarella and basil. Now bring the corners of the baking paper together, being careful that none of the filling spills out. Scrunch the top together and use a stapler to staple the parcel together at the top (you might need a few goes with the stapler to secure it). This should give you a nice, neat package. Place onto a baking tray.

Repeat the same method using the remaining ingredients.

Once all the nests are completed, place into the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately to the table. Carefully undo the top of each parcel and watch the lovely steam and smells of the pasta nests waft out. Great entertainment and very yummy.

This is a great recipe for kids to help with. They can cut the baking paper sheets, place the pasta, sauce and cheese in the parcels and even help with the stapling. And they can definitely help with the eating part!