The new smaller spaghetti sandwich

There was a time when mothers looked at the leftovers of a spaghetti dinner and thought, “I’ll just put that between two slices of white bread and give the kids a sandwich.” My mother was not one of those mothers, but some of my closest friends grew up on spaghetti sandwiches and they get all glassy-eyed when I mention spaghetti sliders. Spaghetti sliders take that old-fashioned spaghetti sandwich and put it in a mini format that is easy to handle and devour in just a few mouthfuls. It’s a perfect tailgating snack and combines the flavors of a spaghetti marinara dinner and some good old garlic bread.

Toast the buns

The first thing you’ll need are some slider rolls. I like the thinnest ones I can find. We’re going deep on the carbs with this little snack, so keeping the bread to a minimum makes it much easier to eat. The first thing you’ll do with your slider rolls is slice them in half, opening them up without separating them – keeping them together makes it easier to pile on the spaghetti later on. Toasting the slider rolls serves two purposes. First of all, it crisps them up a little so that they don’t get too soggy with the spaghetti. Secondly, it gives you the chance to turn the slider rolls into a garlic bread of sorts. Brush each cut surface generously with butter, sprinkle on a little garlic salt or rub each toasted half with a clove of garlic. 

Spaghetti Slider Filling

When it comes to preparing your spaghetti for the sliders, you can go all old-school and make your own marinara sauce, but honestly, spaghetti sliders are not gourmet food and a jar of your favorite pasta sauce will do just fine. Combine your cooked spaghetti with the marinara sauce, some grated mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese and a little parsley – just for some color and to give you the feeling that you’re putting something healthy in here!

Assembling Spaghetti Sliders

Assembling the sliders is easy. Start by putting spaghetti all over the bottom half of the slider rolls. Add a little more sauce, top with more mozzarella cheese and the top halves of the slider rolls. You’re welcome to brush the top of the rolls and sprinkle with herbs and Parmesan cheese if you like, but I like to keep them plain so they are easy and tidy to pick up.

Slice the Sliders

Before you serve the sliders, slice them apart. This not only separates the buns which we left together, but also cuts through the spaghetti noodles so that you don’t pull all the spaghetti out of the neighboring slider. Stack them on a serving platter and serve warm. Close your eyes and you’ll be right back at your childhood kitchen table with two pieces of white bread and last night’s pasta in your hands. 

Spaghetti Sliders