Giada De Laurentiis' Pasta Cupcakes Are Full-On Italian-Maxxing

Giada De Laurentiis is a home cooking icon beloved for her simply elegant takes on Italian classics, from perfectly rolled meatballs to the lemon spaghetti that helped launch her into fame. However, the "Everyday Italian" host isn't afraid to get creative with traditional ingredients, often with extremely delicious results. Case in point: her recipe for pasta cupcakes. If you're having nightmare visions of frosting-topped fettuccine, never fear — the Roman-born chef is innovative, not blasphemous, and her pasta cupcakes stay strictly in savory territory (although De Laurentiis' favorite childhood snack was chocolate pasta).

The fusion dish essentially consists of a cupcake pan filled with cooked pasta, your veggies and protein of choice, and cheddar cheese to hold it all together. The savory cups are topped with parmesan and breadcrumbs and baked to crispy, chewy, Italian-inspired perfection. While the idea of pasta cupcakes might make some purists boil with rage — let's be real — combining two of humanity's greatest culinary creations into one dish is high-key genius. It's got the handheld convenience of pizza, the flavor and texture of pasta, and endlessly customizable ingredients. Plus, it's a fabulous way to eat day-old pasta, which De Laurentiis is totally in favor of.

In an Instagram video, Giada De Laurentiis revealed that her pasta cupcakes have been one of her daughter Jade's favorite dishes since childhood, and the pair prepared the recipe together. After coating a cupcake pan with a thin layer of oil and breadcrumbs, they filled the cups with a mix of cooked pasta, ground turkey, and broccoli. De Laurentiis noted that small, springy pasta shapes like nodi marini work particularly well. As for the veggies and protein, you can essentially throw in whatever you fancy (the chef said that she used to add asparagus and tomatoes, and Jade's pointed look makes it adorably clear why she stopped).

Next, the mother-daughter duo mixed in some cheddar cheese to hold it all together, topped the cupcakes off with parmesan, more breadcrumbs, and a drizzle of olive oil, and stuck the pan in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes (on the top rack for maximum crispiness). The resulting cupcake-shaped bites are mouthwateringly gooey, crispy-crunchy, and golden, and they make a fantastic hearty snack or kid-friendly party treat. Whether you're Italian-maxxing or simply looking for a fun way to use up leftover pasta, it's well worth giving these uniquely savory cupcakes a whirl.