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Made too much pasta? Here are 5 tasty recipes that will use it all up

If you have too much pasta from spaghetti night, mix up these recipes for the rest of the week!

When you set it to boil, pasta seems to grow to fill the pot. It’s easy to have a spaghetti noodle surplus! Drain, save, and give it a new spin.

Wendy Paul shares ideas for leftover pasta that will get the whole family excited for leftover night.

Find more recipes from Wendy on Instagram, @therealwendypaul.

Pasta Fritters

INGREDIENTS

  • Leftover cooked spaghetti, ziti or any pasta, roughly chopped
  • 3 green onions diced
  • 1/3 cup parsley chopped (fresh is always best)
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 cup or more of grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
  • 2-3 eggs (you want your mixture to hold together and be wet, but not sloppy)

METHOD

  1. Mix together in a large bowl until combined.
  2. Scoop into a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat and cook on each side, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.

 

Mac n Cheese Chowder

INGREDIENTS

  • Napa Valley Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup green pepper diced
  • 1/2 cup celery diced
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • Leftover Mac n Cheese
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

METHOD

  1. Sauté the pepper, celery, onion & carrots until tender. Then add the flour and butter, stir to cook out the flour 1-2 minutes.
  2. Then while stirring add the broth and bring back to a simmer. Chowder will thicken.
  3. Then add the heavy cream, leftover mac n cheese & sharp cheddar.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and warm through. Until nice and bubbly, cheesy goodness. Chowder will be thick.
  5. Garnish with parsley, bacon, more cheese!

 

Mostaccioli (Baked spaghetti)

INGREDIENTS

  • Leftover cooked ziti or penne, even rigatoni noodles
  • Meat sauce marinara (20 oz.)
  • Alfredo sauce (20 oz.)
  • More Parmesan cheese

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Layer in a greased 9×13 baking dish, the meat sauce, cooked noodles, alfredo sauce and more cheese!
  3. Bake covered for 25 minutes, remove the foil and brown the top for 10 more minutes. Even broil for a minute or two if needed.
  4. Serve hot.

 

Thai Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • Leftover cooked spaghetti
  • Shredded carrots
  • Diced green onion
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Your favorite peanut sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Sesame seeds
  • Protein: leftover grilled chicken or cooked shrimp

METHOD

  1. Toss all ingredients together and serve cold. This salad will last for a few days in the fridge too! Two words: Meal prep.

 

Breakfast Frittata

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups cooked pasta, rotini, ziti or penne
  • 1 lb asparagus
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 handful sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 8 eggs whisked with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a oven proof skillet, saute the asparagus and onion until almost tender crisp. Add the seasonings and stir together. Add the cherry tomatoes on top. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Remove the skillet from the heat. Then pour in the eggs and cheddar mixture on top of the cooked asparagus mixture. Make sure it’s spread evenly.
  3. Bake in the oven for 38-32 minutes until the eggs are set. Remove and serve hot.

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