Left-over Pasta ideas

[Sarah J]

I was just wondering what you guys do with left-over pasta, apart from just reheating it for the next day. I always seem to have left-overs when I make pasta (there's always someone not turning up for dinner) and since I'm cooking for kids, they HATE eating the same thing the next day.

Is there a way to disguise it, or dress it up as something different. I just want to get rid of it all and not have to throw it in the garbage. Thanks!

[jkath]

Make pasta salad! Toss your penne with some zesty italian dressing, chopped tomatoes and minced basil. Top with fresh mozzerella.

If you want a quickie, grab a bag of frozen asst. veggies and stir fry them with some stir fry sauce. When they're nearly done, throw in your leftover spaghetti/angel hair pasta.

Or you can make some white gravy and serve your leftover wide egg noodles with cut up breakfast sausages in it.

Wonder if you can make a tiny-pasta pudding, like a rice pudding?

[kyles]

You can combine it with beaten eggs, some chopped ham, and chopped vegetables and make a frittata, that's one of my favourite things to do.

Or a pasta bake with cooked diced chicken, vegetables and smother in a white cheese sauce and bake with grated cheese over the top.

My favourite pasta salad is with cold roasted butternut squash, chopped cooked bacon and parmesan cheese, with light dressing.

[mish]

Originally Posted by Sarah J

I was just wondering what you guys do with left-over pasta, apart from just reheating it for the next day. I always seem to have left-overs when I make pasta (there's always someone not turning up for dinner) and since I'm cooking for kids, they HATE eating the same thing the next day.

Is there a way to disguise it, or dress it up as something different. I just want to get rid of it all and not have to throw it in the garbage. Thanks!

Welcome to DC, Sarah J. What kind of pasta do you have left over? Not every sauce and recipe will work with every noodle. Since the pasta is already cooked, (I imagine, with a sauce), put it in a food storeage bag and freeze for another dish.

[Alix]

Hi Sarah and welcome to DC.

Depending on whether the pasta has sauce on it already or not would depend on what you can do with it. If it is sauceless, then just refrigerate it for another day and use it in something else. If it has sauce on it then your options are a bit more limited. Can you post with some more specific info? That will help to get more responses to your question.

[Sarah J]

Well, at the moment it's a shrimp scampi with linguine, but it always varies.

Do you think that fritatta idea would work with this?

[sentiant]

Something i lik to do (left over pasta with sauce) is cut it up roughly and stuff some nice juicy peppers with the mix, serve with a side salad or whatever you fancy (i do like it with toast )

[cjs]

"Do you think that fritatta idea would work with this?"

You bet it would - it'll be delicious!!

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by Sarah J

Well, at the moment it's a shrimp scampi with linguine, but it always varies.

Do you think that fritatta idea would work with this?

Im kind of afraid of you re-cook the leftover shrimp long enough to make a frittata, the shrimp will turn either mushy or rubbery. I'd leave the shrimp out of the frittata and then reheat them gently and serve atop it.

[thymeless]

As mentioned earlier, fritattas are a good reuse of leftover pasta, sauced or plain. Certianly my favorite, but not my family's.

thymeless