These little spaghetti cups make the perfect game day snack! They’re also perfect for kids (or anyone that loves to eat with their hands). They’re fun, tasty, and magically hold together without all the cheese that the traditional recipes call for! I honestly wasn’t sure that this recipe would work when I decided to make it. That’s because all of the recipes I referenced were so heavy on the cheese and eggs, but my attitude is always “If they can make it, I can make it vegan!” I’m so happy this one turned out the way it did. I love fun recipes, and this one is tons of fun!
Pro tip: To make the oat and walnut balls extra delicious, you can use vegetable broth instead of water.
Have you tried this recipe? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!
*Oats are something that can frequently be cross contaminated with gluten. Be sure to use certified gluten free oats to keep this recipe safe for gluten free people.
Spaghetti Cups (Vegan, Gluten Free):
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 1 package gluten free spaghetti* 12 ounces
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 6 Tablespoons water divided
- 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot powder
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup tomato sauce
Oat and Walnut Balls:
- 1 cup certified gluten free old fashioned oats ground into flour
- 1 cup boiling water or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup walnuts ground in a food processor
- 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley diced
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sauce:
- 1.5 cups tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Noodle Cups:
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Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, it will cook more in the oven so you want it to still be firm.
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After cooking, drain the pasta. If using gluten free pasta, do not rinse - the starch on the noodles will help it hold together later.
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Make the flax eggs by combining the ground flaxseed with 4 Tablespoons of water. Stir and set aside for five minutes, or until it thickens into a gel.
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Make the arrowroot slurry by combining the arrowroot powder with 2 Tablespoon of water. Stir to combine.
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In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, flax eggs, nutritional yeast, arrowroot slurry, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1 cup tomato sauce. Toss to combine.
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Oil the muffin pan.
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Place the noodles into the muffin pan, then use the bottom of a shot glass to press a well into the center of each noodle cup.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes. My oven runs cool, so it needed 20. If yours is standard, it should only need 15. If you bake it longer than 15, keep an eye on it for the last 5 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
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Let the noodle cups cool before trying to pop them out.
Oat and Walnut Balls:
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While the spaghetti cups bake, prepare the oat and walnut balls. In a large bowl, combine the ground oats with the boiling water. Stir and let rest for 10 minutes. This allows the oats to fully absorb the water and makes it sticky enough to hold the balls together.
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Add in the walnuts, fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir to combine.
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Roll into twelve 1” balls.
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Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once it’s glistening, add the oat and walnut balls.
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Saute for 1-2 minutes (90 seconds was enough for mine), then flip and repeat.
Sauce:
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Drain the extra olive oil off the pan (if desired).
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Add in the 1.5 cups tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir to combine.
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Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Assembly:
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Place one ball in each noodle cup with some sauce.
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Using a knife to loosen the spaghetti cups from the edge of the muffin pan, gently pop each noodle cup out, and plate.
Recipe Notes
* I used Barilla gluten free linguine.
