A great way to repurpose leftover spaghetti is by making a Spaghetti Frittata also knows as frittata di spaghetti. Which is essentially fried leftover spaghetti and eggs.
Growing up in an Italian household, my mother never let anything go to waste. If there were any leftovers, they were always saved and used the next day in some sort of concoction.
Leftovers make great recipes like my recipe for the Best Italian Arancini, Balls of Rice (polpette di riso), Leftover Turkey Soup, or my amazing Sicilian Vota Vota recipe.
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When we had pasta, which was everyday, there rarely were leftovers. But, on occasion, there were leftover spaghetti noodles which my mother stored until the next day to make a frittata di spaghetti.
What other dishes can you make with leftover spaghetti?
Frittata di spaghetti is only one thing you can make with leftover pasta. You don't need to use spaghetti to make a pasta frittata, you can use any type of pasta shapes.
If you have pasta in a sauce, these types of dishes taste really good when you fry pasta in a frypan with a little bit of oil and let it get crispy on the bottom.
You can also add to leftover pasta to take it up a notch. Add hard boiled eggs, shredded mozzarella, and grated parmesan cheese and fry in a fry pan or place in the oven and make a leftover spaghetti bake.
This dish was inspired by my mom, who is my inspiration for many of the dishes on this site. She makes the most amazing Italian recipes like lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, stuffed eggplants, rigatoni al forno and riso al forno.
Why You'll Love this Dish
- eliminates leftover waste by repurposing leftover food into new dishes
- taste is loved by adults and children
- crispy bottom makes perfect comfort food
- customizable that you can add in other ingredients to create a unique recipe
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Ingredients
This frittata di spaghetti comes together with a few ingredients, namely:
- leftover cooked spaghetti (without sauce)
- eggs
- prosciutto or ham
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- grated parmesan cheese
- green onions
- extra virgin olive oil
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Frittata di Spaghetti
If your cooked pasta is clumpy, place it in a strainer and run it through some water. Drain thoroughly.
Place olive oil in frypan and heat over medium heat. Whisk eggs in a small bowl and add egg mixture to the frypan, immediately add the pasta and all other ingredients.
Press down with a spatula and make sure that the spaghetti is in the egg mixture.
Once the bottom of the frittata is cooked and a little seared, transfer to a plate so that you can flip and return to the frypan.
Cook the other side until the bottom is golden.
Remove from frypan and use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice.
Garnish and serve.
Storage
If you have any leftover spaghetti frittata, just store it in an air tight container or wrap it in foil. Store in refrigerator for not more than 3 to 4 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top Tips
If your pasta is too clumpy, place it in a strainer and run some cold water through it. Be careful to drain all the water before tossing it in the pan with your egg mixture.
You can use any shape of leftover pasta to make a pasta frittata. If you have pasta in a pasta sauce fry it up with some olive oil and grated parmesan cheese until crispy instead of making a frittata.
Let your frittata cook really well on the bottom to sear the spaghetti. The longer it fries the crispier the pasta will get. This frittata tastes really good when you get a bite of crispy pasta!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some great ideas to make this dish different or suit specific diets:
- Tomato Sauce - add tomato sauce to your frittata di spaghetti
- Gluten Free - make it gluten free by using leftover rice or spaghetti squash
- Dairy Free - make it dairy free by using dairy free cheese or omitting the cheese
- Sun Dried Tomatoes - add sun dried tomatoes for a more savory bite
- Hot Peppers - add hot peppers to spice it up
If you know how to make this recipe unique or suit your diet - go for it! Let me know what you did and how it turned out by leaving me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
Fillings for frittata are mixed in the pan with the eggs as opposed to omelets. With omelets, the fillings goes on the cooked eggs and the egg is folded over like a sandwich.
Yes, you can put anything in a frittata. Spaghetti Frittata is a popular dish in Italian Culture made with simple ingredients like leftover spaghetti, cheese, eggs, seasonings and sometimes herbs like parsley.
Other Main Dishes You'll Love
Recipe Details
Frittata di Spaghetti (Spaghetti Frittata)
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 2 cups of pasta leftover, 100 g raw
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 slices of prosciutto or cubed ham
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- If your cooked pasta is clumpy, place it in a strainer and run it through some water. Drain thoroughly.
- Place olive oil in frypan and heat medium heat.
- Whisk eggs in a small bowl and add egg mixture to the frypan, immediately add the pasta and all other ingredients.
- Press down with a spatula and make sure that the spaghetti is in the egg mixture.
- Once the bottom of the frittata is cooked and a little seared, transfer to a plate so that you can flip and return to the frypan.
- Cook the other side until the bottom is golden.
- Remove from frypan and use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice.
- Garnish and serve.
Notes
Top Tips
If your pasta is too clumpy, place it in a strainer and run some cold water through it. Be careful to drain all the water before tossing it in the pan with your egg mixture. You can use any shape of leftover pasta to make a pasta frittata. If you have pasta in a pasta sauce fry it up with some olive oil and grated parmesan cheese until crispy instead of making a frittata. Let your frittata cook really well on the bottom to sear the spaghetti. The longer it fries the crispier the pasta will get. This frittata tastes really good when you get a bite of crispy pasta!Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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