Family-Friendly
Mini Pasta Bake Cups
Individual pasta bakes baked in a muffin tin — self-contained, portion-sized, and brilliant for lunchboxes. Cibo di Italia Classic Macaroni, a quick tomato sauce, mozzarella and a golden breadcrumb top. Make a batch on the weekend, pack two per box, and the week is sorted. They reheat beautifully or travel perfectly at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 250 g Cibo di Italia Classic Macaroni
- 300 ml passata or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pieces garlic cloves — finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp mild paprika
- 2 pieces eggs — beaten
- 80 g parmesan — finely grated
- 125 g mozzarella — drained and torn into small pieces
- 40 g fine breadcrumbs — or crushed crackers for a crunch top
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil — for greasing the muffin tin
Method
-
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Generously grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter or olive oil — make sure to get right into the edges.
-
Step 2. Cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water for 7 minutes — 1–2 minutes less than the pack suggests, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well.
7 min
-
Step 3. In a wide bowl, mix the passata with olive oil, grated garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Add the beaten eggs and half the parmesan. Stir well.
-
Step 4. Add the drained macaroni to the sauce mixture and fold through so every tube is coated. Fold in the mozzarella pieces.
-
Step 5. Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin holes, pressing down lightly so each cup is packed. Fill to just below the rim — they puff up slightly.
-
Step 6. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Scatter a teaspoon over each cup.
-
Step 7. Bake for 18–20 minutes until the tops are golden and the cups feel set when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before easing out with a small palette knife or spoon.
20 min
-
Step 8. Pack two cups per lunchbox once completely cool. They keep refrigerated for 3 days or freeze well for up to 1 month.
Goes well with
A small pot of cherry tomatoes and a piece of cheese on the side of the lunchbox.
A small bottle of water or diluted fruit juice.
A small pot of yoghurt or a piece of fresh fruit.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 380kcalCalories19%
- 48gCarbohydrate18%
- 16gProtein32%
- 14gFat20%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Macaroni
500g · Cooks in 8–10 minutes · Serves ~5
See where to buy
