Romantic Heart Spaghetti Cake

⏱ 120 mins 🍽 4 serving(s) 🏷 Meatballs

Impress your loved one with this grand heart-shaped spaghetti cake, perfect for a romantic meal. The dish features a firm baked spaghetti pie layered with herbed cream cheese and marinara, topped with melty mozzarella. It is accompanied by a batch of heart-shaped beef meatballs, each decorated with a sriracha heart. Serve it with a drizzle of warm alfredo sauce and a garnish of fresh parsley for a truly memorable centrepiece.

Romantic Heart Spaghetti Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • sriracha sauce, to cover hearts
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 750 ml red wine
  • 5 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 16 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente and drained
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 8 ounces garlic and cream cheese with herbs
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup alfredo sauce
  • chopped parsley, for garnish

Method

  1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350F and positioning a 24-cavity silicone heart mold on a baking sheet.
  2. Place the shallots, garlic cloves, parsley, and one egg into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped.
  3. Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the processor and pulse just until everything is combined.
  4. Press this meat mixture firmly into each cavity of the heart mold, filling them to the top, then refrigerate it.
  5. Prepare a 9.5-inch heart springform pan by greasing it and lining the bottom and sides with cut parchment paper.
  6. Wrap the pan's base and sides with foil, place it on a sheet tray, and set it aside.
  7. Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot, then add the chopped onion with salt and pepper, cooking for about 10 minutes until soft.
  8. Pour in 1/4 cup of the red wine and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until it reduces slightly.
  9. Stir in the marinara sauce and garlic powder, then let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes before taking the pot off the heat.
  10. Remove one cup of this sauce and set it aside for later use.
  11. Add the cooked and drained spaghetti noodles to the pot with the remaining sauce and toss them together to coat.
  12. Pour the three beaten eggs into the pot with the spaghetti and mix thoroughly to combine.
  13. Transfer the spaghetti mixture into your prepared springform pan, pressing it down firmly to create a compact layer.
  14. Soften the garlic and herb cream cheese by heating it in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, then spread it evenly over the spaghetti.
  15. Spoon the reserved cup of marinara sauce over the cream cheese, leaving a small border, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top.
  16. Bake the spaghetti pie in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
  17. After the pie has been baking for 10 minutes, place the tray of meatballs in the oven and bake them for 30 minutes.
  18. Once baked, let the spaghetti pie rest while you carefully unmold the meatballs and decorate each top with sriracha sauce in heart patterns.
  19. Remove the collar from the springform pan and transfer the spaghetti pie to a platter.
  20. Warm the alfredo sauce in the microwave and drizzle it over the top of the pie, leaving a border of the marinara visible.
  21. Scatter chopped parsley all over as a garnish and arrange some of the heart meatballs on the alfredo section.
  22. Serve the remaining meatballs on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium2158900 mg

Recipe details

CategoryMeatballs
AuthorArlyn Osborne