I love when it’s possible to take an everyday dish and turn it into something fun for kids and adults alike.  When you can do it without having to buy some obscure ingredient or cooking utensil, it’s even better!  Twice, I’ve prepped this between the kids’ evening activities.  That way, all I had to do was stick it in the oven right before dinner!

I found this recipe on www.familyfreshcooking.com.  It tastes delicious right out of the oven but still tastes great if you reheat it in the microwave.  I’ve sent it along in my daughter’s school lunch, too.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces dry whole wheat pasta (I use spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• olive oil
• garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• grated Parmesan

Preparation

• Pre-heat oven to 425˚F.
• Cook pasta (do not break) according to the directions. Typically, you add it to boiling water, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 10-12 minutes before draining out the water. Tip:  Keep about 1/2 cup of water in case you need to add it to your mix later.
• Grease muffin tins.
• Combine cottage cheese and cheddar cheese in a bowl.
• Combine cooked pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, tumeric, and paprika.
• Add most of the cheese mixture.  Hold back some of the cheese mixture so you can top the nests with it.
• In the muffin tin, use a fork to twirl the spaghetti into nests.
• Top each nest with some of the cheese mixture.
• Bake for about 10 minutes. The tops of your nests will be lightly browned and a bit crispy.
• Top with Parmesan.

I serve these with baked chicken (see the preparation – chicken section) and a side of vegetables.  Broccoli is a great fit.

Let us know what you think!