With these leftover pasta recipes, you can enjoy your favorite pasta dishes for a few days in a row, ensuring that you get the most enjoyment out of it as possible.
After all, is there anything better than a heaping plate of delicious noodles?
Many of these use leftover spaghetti as the main pasta, but there are also a few other options.
And as long as you know how to reheat pasta, you can adjust most of the recipes to use with any noodle of your choice.
So grab your leftovers, and get ready to fix something equally delicious the next day!
1. Leftover Pasta Frittata
This easy recipe takes less than an hour to make, and it tastes fantastic.
All you’ll need aside from last night’s spaghetti are six eggs, some Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
It makes a delicious, crispy-edged, cheesy frittata large enough to feed a family of four.
You’ll definitely want to use spaghetti noodles for this one, though, as it can be hard to make with another pasta.
2. Spaghetti Salad
If you’re a fan of Betty Crocker’s Suddenly Salad pasta salads, you’ll love this quick and easy recipe for spaghetti salad.
It has the same cool, zesty flavor and even more veggies.
Plus, it makes use of all the leftover pasta you have in your fridge!
It takes about half an hour to make (longer if you want to make homemade dressing), and you’ll need to refrigerate it at least 2 hours before serving it.
Because it’s best served cold, you can even make it the night before while cleaning up the dinner dishes if you feel up to it.
3. Leftover Spaghetti Casserole
This casserole calls for leftover spaghetti, but you can easily make it with whatever leftover pasta you have.
You can also jazz it up a bit by adding additional cheeses, meats, and veggies.
However, it’s just as delicious as-is, without adding in all the extras.
The mushrooms, additional cheese, and fresh pasta sauce make it taste like an entirely new meal.
4. Pizza Pasta Casserole
Pizza… Pasta… It’s hard to decide which is better, so why not put them together?!
All you’ll need to make this delicious dish is ground beef, onions, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and pasta, of course.
The recipe as written makes two whole casseroles, so you may want to half it if you’re cooking for a small family.
However, it’s pretty incredible, so you may find that your family needs both casseroles to feel satisfied!
5. Leftover Pasta Fritters
These crispy, savory fritters are an excellent way to use just about any type of leftover pasta, and you can prepare them in about 15 minutes!
The ingredients list is also short, including only the already sauced pasta, two eggs, some breadcrumbs, and olive oil to cook them.
You can also add cheese, salt and pepper, and a parsley garnish if you like.
The fritters work best with day-old pasta. They seem to hold together better that way.
6. Italian Fried Pasta
If you’ve never fried pasta before, you’re in for a treat with this recipe.
It works best with curled or spiral pasta, so that some edges brown, while others don’t touch the pan.
Aside from the pasta, all you’ll need are some different cheeses and several seasonings and spices. For added protein, you can throw in some diced salami.
This is a cheesy, garlicky, well-seasoned dish with just enough crunch to make it fun and different.
7. Crispy Leftover Pasta
If you enjoy your pasta with a bit of crunch, this is another great recipe to try.
It’s also incredibly convenient. You can make it with just leftover pasta and some olive oil for frying.
You’ll pour in the oil, then add the pasta. In 10 minutes, you’ll have scrumptious, warm, crunchy pasta.
I like to throw a few scallions on top of mine for extra flavor.
8. Spaghetti Pie
If you’ve ever had baked spaghetti, then you already know how spaghetti pie tastes. They’re very similar dishes.
Spaghetti pie is a great way to turn all that leftover spaghetti into something a little different, but just as yummy.
The edges are crispy, and the top is cheesy and gooey.
Be sure to add some extra sauce to it; otherwise, it gets pretty dry.
Baking the spaghetti takes a lot of the moisture out of it, even if it was pre-sauced from last night’s dinner.
9. Spaghetti Sandwich
I love this recipe! Believe it or not, it’s a much less messy way to eat spaghetti!
The recipe is perfect, and if you follow it, you’ll make a garlicky grilled sandwich that’s truly unbeatable. However, there’s one thing that I do differently.
It’s a little messier (which defeats the purpose of having a “much less messy” way to eat spaghetti), but I love it.
Instead of buttering plain Texas toast bread, I purchase the New York Bakery Texas Toast with Garlic bread sold in the freezer section.
It saves me a little time, and I love how that bread tastes. Either way, though, this sandwich is a delicious way to make use of leftover spaghetti.
10. Mac and Cheese Balls
These cheesy, deep-fried balls of yumminess take a little time and prep work to get ready, but they’re worth it once they’re done.
They have perfectly crispy, golden brown outsides, and the insides are smooth, creamy, and supremely cheesy.
Serve them with some marinara for dipping, and you’ll have an instant favorite.
11. Sweet Pasta Casserole
Because this recipe makes a sweet treat, you can only make it with un-sauced pasta. Any type of small pasta will suffice.
You’ll also need unsalted butter, six eggs, granulated sugar, and fine salt. The result is an eggy, slightly sweet dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch.
For extra sweetness, top it with any of your favorite berries or a few banana slices.
12. Leftover Mac and Cheese Soup
Mac and cheese soup is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover macaroni and cheese in the cooler months.
It’s warm, rich, creamy, and vegetarian-friendly. Plus, it’s easy to make!
Once it’s done, you can add your favorite toppings for a bit of additional flavor – shredded cheese, diced scallions, or bacon bits.
You can also serve it with crackers for added crunch.
13. Mac and Cheese Muffins
Savory muffins are always a big hit in my house, and these are no exception.
They take less than 30 minutes to make and require only four ingredients – an egg, diced ham, shredded cheese, and leftover mac and cheese.
When finished, they’re crispy, brown, and full of ham and cheesy goodness.
They’re comforting treats that remind me of my childhood, even though I never had them as a kid.
I think it’s just the warm, yummy taste of baked ham and cheese that does it for me.
14. Peanut Pasta Salad
If you’re looking for a way to use leftover spaghetti that’s spicy, vegan-friendly, and has an ethnic flair, this peanut pasta salad is the best.
The secret is in the homemade dressing, which includes soy and sriracha sauces, peanut butter, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, olive oil, rice vinegar, water, and sesame seeds.
It gives the whole dish a unique sweet but spicy flavor.
It’s also packed with peanuts and a ton of vegetables, which provides it with a delightful crunch throughout. Put simply, it’s incredible.
15. Instant Noodle Cups
I’m not a fan of the ramen they sell in stores because it’s packed full of MSG.
I’ve found a way to compromise with these healthy, homemade instant noodle cups made from leftover spaghetti.
These are great for meal prep and packed lunches, and the various flavor combinations are practically endless.
Once you pick your noodles, sauces, protein, and veggies, just layer them all in a microwavable cup.
When it comes time to eat them, you’ll only have to pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a couple of minutes. It really is that simple.
16. Spaghetti Lo Mein
Lo mein is delicious, but it’s not one of those foods most of us have sitting around the house. Luckily, with this recipe, it’s easy to recreate.
All you’ll need are unsauced spaghetti noodles and the right spices, veggies, and sauces.
The whole thing takes about 20 minutes to put together, and it tastes just like the lo mein you’ll get at your favorite Chinese restaurant.
17. Leftover Spaghetti and Meatball Panini
These panini are kind of messy, and they’re certainly not the most ladylike food you can eat, but when food tastes this good, who cares if you have to wear a little of it?
These work best if you have a panini press, but they’re still doable if you don’t.
You’ll just have to get a little creative with some skillets and canned goods. (The recipe tells you how.)
Whether you make them in the skillet or a panini press, I highly recommend you try them the next time you have leftover spaghetti and meatballs.
17 Ways to Use Leftover Pasta
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a leftover pasta dish in 30 minutes or less!
