Giada De Laurentiis Made These 'Pasta Cupcakes' For Her Daughter Growing Up, And They Couldn't Be Easier To Recreate

Pasta and cupcakes don't really sound like a match made in heaven, but somehow, Giada De Laurentiis makes it work. In an Instagram reel, the Italian-American celebrity chef shared her recipe for pasta cupcakes, which were one of her daughter's favorite childhood snacks. They're crispy and cheesy, and the recipe couldn't be simpler, making it an ideal meal to prep for the week ahead. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftover pasta, cheese, meat, and vegetables. What's not to love?

De Laurentiis starts off with a cupcake pan, which she coats with oil and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs to keep the pasta from sticking. Then, she adds already-cooked pasta to each of the cups in the pan. Nodi marini pasta is her pick, and it's actually one of De Laurentiis' favorite pasta shapes. However, any pasta shape on the smaller side should work well. In addition to the pasta, she adds turkey and broccoli to the mix.

Once each cup is full with a mixture of each ingredient, she generously tops the cupcakes with cheddar cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano, noting that cheese is the ingredient that helps the whole thing stay together. After adding breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil to the very top, she cooks them in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown.

While this isn't a traditional Italian dish, at its core, it follows one of the cuisine's primary principles of utilizing leftover ingredients. In the video, De Laurentiis explains that she's made pasta cupcakes with different ingredients in the past, including asparagus and tomatoes. Broccoli and turkey are what she had on hand this time, but she says that you can use whatever you want in your own iteration of pasta cupcakes.

If you don't have leftover ingredients that are begging to be used, but you still want to give pasta cupcakes a try, consider adding ingredients you like on a typical plate of pasta. For a protein element, consider using ground meat like De Laurentiis does with turkey. Ground chicken, beef, or sausage also works well. For vegetables, whether you add tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, or zucchini, be sure to chop them up into small pieces to maintain a uniform texture. You can even use your favorite pasta sauce brand, whether it be arrabbiata or a simple store-bought pesto. Add a dollop of sauce to the top of the pasta and cover it with cheddar and parm — or whatever you've got on-hand. You'll be left with a mini, bite-sized pasta snack you'll want to make every week.