We're constantly miscalculating our sauce-to-noodle ratio and ending up with odd cups of sauce-less pasta left in the fridge. It's never really enough to justify another whole batch of sauce, but it seems silly and wasteful to throw it away. Here are a few things we do with extra noodles - what about you?
1. Frittatas - It might sound strange to put noodles in a baked frittata, but we think the pasta adds a nice chewy texture and a bit of substance.
2. Noodle Fritters - Add an egg or two just to bind the pasta together and fry these on the stovetop until the outside is crispy. With a few leftover veggies, these are a great snack or quick meal for one.
3. Salads - We also like a handful of cold pasta on top of our salads. It makes a nice texture contrast with the crunchy vegetables and makes a simple salad much more satisfying to eat for lunch or dinner.
4. Soup "Garnish" - We've been eating a lot of creamy soups lately and we'll add a scoop of pasta to round out the meal. For that matter, we can slip a cup or two of pasta into just about any soup we make without throwing off the recipe!
What other ideas do you have for using a small amount of leftover pasta?
Related: 22 Fast, Fresh pasta Dishes for Weeknight Suppers
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I toss any extra I have into the freezer. Comes in handy when anyone gets sick & needs a little chicken noodle soup.
i was going to suggest noodle fritters! if people haven't tried them, do it! they are tasty!
Pop a little pesto or salad dressing on top and snack away! A few chopped veggies wouldn't hurt, if they're handy...
I like to melt butter and parmesan cheese on it.
I make what we call "buttered noodles" by melting a pat of butter in a skillet and then adding the leftover pasta... I just cook it until it starts to turn a teeny bit brown in spots, then add salt and pepper and any fresh herbs that I have on hand (chives, basil, thyme, etc.). It makes a tasty lunch.
I make a simple pasta frittata with any leftover bit of pasta and their sauce by adding beating 2 eggs, a good handful of parmesan cheese and frying it all in plenty of olive oil until set and pasta starts to go crispy and brown. Very tasty leftovers indeed!
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Buttered noodles! Buttered noodles! (but like, by buttered noodles I just mean noodles tossed with butter and salt). You know, it's Marge Simpson's favorite food. :)
I do a take on the frittata dish that I had in a restaurant once, and it's super tasty and simple. Start cooking scrambled eggs like you normally would and add some garlic powder (or the real thing) to the mix. When the eggs are almost set mix in some veggie sausage, noodles, fresh basil, and Parmesan. (in that order). It turns into a delicious mess that is very filling.
Fritters look delicious... can't wait to try them!
Single serving of Mac n' cheese. Throw in whatever cheeses you have in the fridge, (cheddar and parmesan are good), some milk, pepper, a pinch of flour and put it in the broiler until the top browns.
Or... a mini pasta salad. Few fresh veggies and italian dressing!
I'm with acaputo -- macaroni and cheese for one, or a quick pasta salad. I also keep pesto on hand, so potentially some of that. Or, if I feel lazy, re-heated with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of whatever cheese is available.
Fried Noodles! Toss them in a pan with a little olive oil and get them golden brown and a little crunchy on the edges. Add a little salt, pepper and a fresh grating of parmesan. YUM! My favorite lunch. Works with pretty much any kind of noodle.
I do the same as fab but I roast some garlic and add that too...I like to add squash if I have it handy. SO delish.
Another fan of buttered noodles. We usually put some fresh parsley on top. Simple, tasty, great when you're nauseous.
I also heat up leftover pasta with veggies, or make a small pasta salad, for a quick dinner for two.
I almost always have pasta or rice in my fridge, and find interestingly interchangable as a starch base. On a truly lazy night, stir fry w/ leftover pasta is awesome. They're also fun (but unusual) with curries.
my go to pasta dish may sound a little weird, but i always toss pasta with bacon bits (not the gross crunchy bacos, but the "hormel real bacon bits"), garlic or garlic salt, basil and olive oil. my mom made it for me all the time when i was little and now its serious comfort food! noodles rarely go un-baconed in my house.
As well as all of the above, I quite like doing a pasta-tuna salad for lunch some days. Your choice as to whether to leave the leftover pasta cold or nuke it to warm it up a bit, but then I stir in a tuna mix made of:
- canned tuna
- mayo
- tinned sweetcorn
- red onion (if you've got some)
- chipotle powder / smoked paprika / some other spice
- Tabasco (to up the heat if wanted)
- grated cheese (good when the pasta's hot - add cheese to pasta & stir, then add the rest of the tuna mix)
Very filling, very tasty. When I want comfort food though, butter sauteed shallots, cream and a variety of cheeses makes a fantastic leftovers pasta dish.
Spag n cheese. Spaghetti noodles microwaved with shredded cheddar. Not a personal favorite but beloved by my kids.
Lunch the next day, with Parmesan, red pepper flakes, S&P, and possibly bacon (I cook a couple extra strips when I do a big breakfast so that I have it handy later). Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil are also a good topping.
we like pasta bakes- mix with leftover/going bad meat and veg, add tofu/cheese/ricotta, sauce and bake until done. you can also make smaller portions for two, with any proportion of ingredients.
sorry, should say: "about to go bad" meats etc. pasta bake is what we make to clean out the fridge.
I mix leftover pasta with a tiny bit of mayonnaise and loads of lemon pepper. It's a great snack or lunch.
I almost always have things on hand to whip up a stovetop mac 'n' cheese, like this one with goat cheese: http://appetiteforconversation.blogspot.com/2009/09/goat-cheese-what.html
It's so much quicker when the pasta is already pre-cooked!