We’re always generous when it comes to cooking pasta, and sadly there’s often some left in the pan. But that’s no reason to waste it by chucking it in the bin, or to eat it simply re-heated. There are plenty of delicious recipes for completely new dishes made using leftovers. Here are 5 international anti-waste recipes to help use up leftovers.
- United States >> Pasta frittata – Sometimes we cook too much pasta, with the risk of throwing it away. It’s an unforgivable waste for all food lovers, and there’s an easy remedy. Known all over the world but particularly loved in America, the pasta frittata is a clever way to recycle pasta that’s already mixed with the sauce but not eaten. We advise taking the leftover pasta out of the fridge about an hour before use, so it comes to room temperature. Mix the pasta with beaten eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper and cook the frittata. A delicious option is to add some diced mozzarella to the pasta and egg mixture. Plate up and serve your pasta frittata nice and hot.
- Italy >> Timballo –A classic traditional Italian anti-waste recipe is definitely the pasta timbale. Just add béchamel, mozzarella and some cooked ham to leftover pasta. Cook in the oven for a few minutes and enjoy your delicious pasta timbale!
- Brasile >> Pasta Snack Burgers – Ingriedients: 100 grams short pasta, preferably small elbows or something similar, 50 grams shredded parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, 100 grams flour, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt.
Beat eggs lightly in a bowl. Add the cheese, salt, nutmeg, and flour and mix together. Add the pasta to the bowl. Heat a pan on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil. Separate pasta mixture into portions the shape and size of a hamburger. Cook 10 minutes on one side, flip and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Brasile >> Easy-peasy cheesy pasta with broccoli – You can use a couple of end slices of a loaf of bread to make breadcrumbs, cooked broccoli stalks from one day before snack and use cooked macaroni pasta from yesterday’s mac & cheese dinner.
Ingredients: 500g cooked Macaroni pasta, 250g grated cheddar cheese, 500ml semi-skimmed milk, 1 cup of cooked broccoli, from yesterday’s snack, 2 tbsp plain flour, 2 tbsp butter, 2 end slices of bread, blitzed into crumbs, 1tsp mustard, salt & pepper to taste
Directions: For making the cheese sauce, Heat yesterday’s plain cooked pasta. In a non-stick saucepan, melt the butter on a low heat. Slowly stir in the flour until the mixture has a sand-like consistency. Slowly whisk in the milk, increasing to a medium heat and cook for a few minutes allowing the sauce to thicken. Add mustard and then add in 200g of the cheese, Season to taste with pepper. Stir well to make sure the cheese is fully melted into the sauce. Place the cooked pasta into an ovenproof dish, and then pour over the cheese sauce. Blitz your bread in a food processor to create breadcrumbs. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese, and sprinkle this over the top of the dish before placing into a preheated oven at 200C/180C fan for 15 minutes. Put the pasta dish in the oven. Remove the pasta from the oven and dish up with the broccoli.
- Mexico >> Fifteen minute carbonara – Loved all over the world, carbonara can also be an anti-waste dish. Here’s how they make it in This Carbonara makes the most of leftover bacon from breakfast and any hard cheese you might have in the fridge, for a quick and delicious dinner.
Ingredients: 250 g Spaghetti, 100g hard cheese, grated, 4 rashers of leftover smoked bacon, 3 large eggs, Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions: Add the bacon to a cold non-stick frying pan and slowly bring up to a medium-high heat. When cooked, remove from the pan and place on a chopping board. Roughly chop and set aside.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. When draining, reserve about half a mug of the cooking water. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix together with a fork.
Return the pasta to its cooking pan, on the hob but not on direct heat and quickly stir in the egg mixture. If the mixture seems a little dry add in a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water.
Once well combined, add in the grated cheese and cooked bacon.
Season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
