Five Ideas For Leftover Pasta

Recently, we ran across an article in La Cucina Italiana in honor of Stop Waste Food Day that we want to share. Yes, you can always nuke up some leftover pasta – but these five ideas will transform leftover pasta into a new dish altogether.

Spaghetti Frittata

Make a frittata with leftover spaghetti. Sauté the pasta in a pan with a drizzle of oil for a few minutes, then add beaten eggs, a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a pinch of pepper. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat, then flip the frittata. Finish cooking it on the other side.

Pasta Pizza

This resembles a pizza, but it’s actually crafted from pasta. To make it, add some grated Parmigiano, pepper, and basil to your leftover pasta. Pour it into a baking pan with a drizzle of oil, then level out the mixture, giving it a round shape. Cover the surface with sliced mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, and anchovies, then bake it in the oven at 400° F for about 10 minutes.

Savory Pasta Pie

Leftover pasta makes the perfect savory pie filling. Cut it into smaller pieces and add vegetables such as zucchini and potatoes as well as stringy cheese such as provolone or fontina, or even tofu. Pour the mixture into a cake pan lined with puff pastry and bake for 20 – 30 minutes at 350° F.

Pasta Timbale

A timbale works best with short pasta, but you can indeed use long pasta if you wish. Cover the leftover pasta with a little béchamel sauce, then place the mixture into a baking pan. Cover with thinly sliced mozzarella and grated Parmigiano cheese and bake in the oven at 400° F for 15 minutes. You can also make a timbale in a crust using shortcrust pastry.

Pasta Croquettes

Pasta croquettes are perfect aperitivo fare. To make these, any pasta shape works because the first step requires chopping it up in a food processor. Add eggs, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs to the pasta (enough to give it some consistency), then shape the croquettes, placing a cube of fontina in the middle. Roll the croquettes in breadcrumbs and fry them in plenty of oil.