Frying Adds New Life To Leftover Pasta
For some people, leftovers are a convenient way to squeeze in a meal since the dish is already fully prepared. However, not everyone loves the idea of eating the same food multiple times. Plus, day-old food is rarely as good as the fresh version. Of course, your leftovers may change a bit after sitting in the fridge overnight but the way you prepare them can make all the difference.
When it comes to a meal like pasta, the leftover noodles are usually congealed together, and most of the sauce gets absorbed. Therefore, instead of sticking your leftovers in the microwave and chewing on rubbery noodles, using a frying pan to reheat your pasta for a new version of your leftover meal can be ideal. Oftentimes, the oils in your pasta sauce break down in the pan and begin to lightly fry your noodles, giving them a flavorful crispy coating.
While it may seem unusual, frying up your leftover pasta for breakfast is a great option if you won't have access to your stove during lunchtime. Plus, Oregon Live discusses the importance of creating a different type of meal with your leftovers. Instead of adding more pasta sauce, consider new toppings like a fried egg and cheese or meat and veggies with a sprinkling of herbs. The options are extremely versatile. Simply start by drizzling some oil into a hot, preferably cast iron, pan, and let your pasta sit for a few minutes before flipping it, so the edges brown.
Saving leftovers is an art form
Leftovers are great meal options but they don't last forever. Therefore, it's important to instill good habits that will keep you from wasting leftovers early on. For example, avoid placing uncovered food in the fridge, as it will go bad much quicker. Specifically, there is an ideal way to save your leftover pasta that will give it new life when you decide to eat it again.
Try to save your pasta sauce in a separate container so that your plain, cooked noodles can go in a ziplock bag. This will help to keep them moist and soft in the cold fridge. Additionally, this will give you more options when deciding how to utilize your leftover pasta. However, if you have leftover pasta that's already coated in the sauce, don't fret. There are still ways to elevate this dish at your next meal.
One Reddit user explained that putting leftover pasta in a pan with cheese helps a delicious crust to form. They noted this method's superiority and added, "This is how we eat leftover pasta in Italy." Similarly, the_recommendista on TikTok fried her leftover sauced pasta in a hot pan with olive oil and cheese to show off the crunchy outer coating that formed as she flipped it over. She then claimed it was the "best life advice [she] could offer you." While it's debatable if this would taste better than the original pasta recipe, it's definitely worth a try!
@the_recommendista This is the best life advice I could offer you #pasta #pastahacks #leftoverhack