Leftover Pasta Frittata

Leftover Pasta  Frittata

Chef, author, restaurateur, Lidia Bastianich

We all love pasta, but we certainly do not want to overstuff ourselves with it. So, what do you do with that leftover portion/half a portion of pasta? Certainly you do not throw it away!

Reheated pasta in a pan, with a little oil and water, nice and crispy, was one of my favorite ways to eat pasta when I was young. My grandma would turn any left over pasta into another meal for us- no waste. She would heat the pasta, throw in some shredded fresh herbs like basil, and then whisk a few eggs into it- and just like that, a beautiful frittata emerged.

I prefer tubular pasta like ziti, elbows, shells for a pasta frittata, as it remains higher like a cake slice. Spaghetti will be just as good, and will resemble more of a pizza slice.  Depending on how much pasta you have left, will determine how many eggs you will need, and ultimately how many people you can serve. But this recipe is easy to modify according to your needs.

Makes 6 servings

  • 3 cups of leftover pasta, dressed with any sauce (I especially like it when it is in a tomato sauce) 
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 basil leaves, shredded
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup grated Grana Padano

Preheat oven at 425 degrees.
In a skillet, reheat the leftover pasta in its own sauce, or add a few tablespoons of water.
In the meantime,  in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and basil.
Heat  the oil in a new skillet, and when the oil is hot, spread the pasta quickly. Immediately pour in the eggs and let seep to the bottom.
Cook over medium heat until a light crust has formed on the bottom of the frittata. Sprinkle the top of the frittata with the grated cheese, and set in the preheated oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the top is nice and crispy.
With a cloth, or an oven mitt, remove the frittata from the oven and with a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata around the border and underneath. Whet it feels loose  slide the frittata on a plate large enough to hold it, or on a wooden board. Slice to serve.
Another serving option is  to present the whole hot pan and have people spoon out portions from the pan.

Tomato and Bread Soup

Pappa al Pomodoro

Yield: makes 8 servings


For this dish, the ripeness and flavor of the tomatoes is imperative.  Therefore, make the soup when the tomatoes are abundant and ripe and at their best in late summer. This "zuppa" is delicious warm or served at room temperature on a hot summer day.
 

  • 5 ½-inch slices Italian bread, crusts removed
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the finished zuppa
  • ½ cup finely diced onions
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juice reserved (see page 000)
  • 4 cups Chicken Stock (see page 000)
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 fresh basil leaves


Heat the oven to 375 F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool the bread.
In a deep, heavy 4- to 5-quart pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. 
Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes 1/2-inch.
Add the tomatoes and their juice to the pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the toasted bread and stock to the pot and bring to a boil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Add the basil leaves and adjust the level of heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, whisking occasionally to break up the pieces of bread, until the mixture is dense and silky, about 40 minutes.
If desired, remove garlic cloves and basil leaves. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Chocolate Bread Parfait

 Yield:  Serves 6

This recalls for me the chocolate-and- bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a
special treat. And it is another inventive way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine, with leftover country
bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and
espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn’t disintegrate, and provides a pleasing
textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful.

  • 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts removed
  • ½ cup freshly brewed espresso
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1½ cups chilled heavy cream
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

You will need a large rimmed tray or baking sheet, such as a half-sheet pan (12 by 18 inches); a spouted measuring cup, 1 pint or larger; 6 parfait glasses or wineglasses, preferably balloon-shaped. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth. Keep it warm, over the water, off the heat. Slice the bread into ½-inch-
Thick slices, and lay them flat in one layer, close together, on the tray or baking sheet.  Pour the warm espresso into a spouted measuring cup, stir in the rum and sugar until sugar dissolves, then stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce all over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them
on the tray, to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes. Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form, by hand or with an electric mixer.  To assemble the parfaits: Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Use half the pieces to make the bottom parfait layer in the six serving glasses, dropping an equal amount of chocolatey bread into each. Scrape up some of the unabsorbed chocolate sauce that remains on the baking sheet, and drizzle a bit over the bread layers. Next, drop a layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using up half the cream. Top the cream layer with toasted almonds, using half the nuts.  Repeat the layering sequence: drop more soaked bread into each glass, drizzle over it the chocolate sauce from the tray and the remaining melted chocolate. Dollop another layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using it all up, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of each parfait. This dessert is best when served immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny.

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