Torta di Spaghetti

It's not very often that we have leftover spaghetti but when we do this is a great way to use it up and make it into a new dish.

I served this with a beautiful heirloom tomato bruschetta and swiss chard.  By serving a green veggie or a salad and you have a wonderfully light meal.





Torta di Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Leftover spaghetti at room temperature (I used leftover pasta with olives and breadcrumbs)
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 large eggs
splash of milk
1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in oil plus some of the oil
3/4 cup grated romano cheese
3/4 cup cubed or shredded mozzarella
6-8 leaves of basil, chiffonade, reserve some for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
Prosciutto Crumbles - optional (see recipe below)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato oil in a large non stick skillet.  Add onions and saute until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sundried tomatoes.

In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, romano cheese, basil, salt and pepper.  Add spaghetti and toss.  Add to skillet and shake pan to evenly distribute mixture.  Using a wooden spoon move the egg around in sections of the pan so more of the egg can cook.  When edges are set use the spoon or rubber spatula to move the egg away from the edge of pan and let more of the uncooked egg hit the pan.  Sprinkle the cheese throughout the eggs.

When eggs are set put a large plate over the frying pan and flip then slide the torta back into the pan so the other side cooks.  Cook for a couple of minutes until eggs are completely set.  (another option is to finish in the oven or under the broiler - be sure your pan is oven/broiler safe).

Sprinkle with basil and prosciutto. 

Prosciutto Crumbles 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Place the prosciutto slices on a  parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Crumble in your hands and use for topping bruschetta, salads, pastas etc as you would do with bacon.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Torta di Spaghetti

It's not very often that we have leftover spaghetti but when we do this is a great way to use it up and make it into a new dish.

I served this with a beautiful heirloom tomato bruschetta and swiss chard.  By serving a green veggie or a salad and you have a wonderfully light meal.





Torta di Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Leftover spaghetti at room temperature (I used leftover pasta with olives and breadcrumbs)
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 large eggs
splash of milk
1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in oil plus some of the oil
3/4 cup grated romano cheese
3/4 cup cubed or shredded mozzarella
6-8 leaves of basil, chiffonade, reserve some for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
Prosciutto Crumbles - optional (see recipe below)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato oil in a large non stick skillet.  Add onions and saute until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sundried tomatoes.

In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, romano cheese, basil, salt and pepper.  Add spaghetti and toss.  Add to skillet and shake pan to evenly distribute mixture.  Using a wooden spoon move the egg around in sections of the pan so more of the egg can cook.  When edges are set use the spoon or rubber spatula to move the egg away from the edge of pan and let more of the uncooked egg hit the pan.  Sprinkle the cheese throughout the eggs.

When eggs are set put a large plate over the frying pan and flip then slide the torta back into the pan so the other side cooks.  Cook for a couple of minutes until eggs are completely set.  (another option is to finish in the oven or under the broiler - be sure your pan is oven/broiler safe).

Sprinkle with basil and prosciutto. 

Prosciutto Crumbles 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Place the prosciutto slices on a  parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Crumble in your hands and use for topping bruschetta, salads, pastas etc as you would do with bacon.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Turn your leftovers into an Amazing Bistro Salad!

How much have you paid for a salad at a cafe or bistro? Not your boring side salad but a gourmet salad with all the best ingredients? Maybe some chicken, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella? Maybe toasted walnuts and feta, grapes and heirloom tomatoes? You can pay anywhere between $8 and $15 for a loaded salad like that. If you make it out of your leftovers it can cost you nothing at all. Use your imagination and look through your fridge and pantry and see what you can come up with.

I had leftover chicken cutlets that I sliced, some boiled cellantani/cavatappi pasta (that didn't have any sauce on it), farmer's market tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, red onion, artichoke hearts with stems (from trader joe's) and a great salad mix. This was a fabulous salad and I can think of so many ways to mix it up. Items that I already have on hand, roasted peppers, salami or ham slices, chick peas or kidney beans, cheddar cheese. I can go on and on! Your options are really endless.

Next time you think about throwing away your leftovers try to put them together in a way that will make a new and exciting salad!

Turn your leftovers into an Amazing Bistro Salad!

How much have you paid for a salad at a cafe or bistro? Not your boring side salad but a gourmet salad with all the best ingredients? Maybe some chicken, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella? Maybe toasted walnuts and feta, grapes and heirloom tomatoes? You can pay anywhere between $8 and $15 for a loaded salad like that. If you make it out of your leftovers it can cost you nothing at all. Use your imagination and look through your fridge and pantry and see what you can come up with.

I had leftover chicken cutlets that I sliced, some boiled cellantani/cavatappi pasta (that didn't have any sauce on it), farmer's market tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, red onion, artichoke hearts with stems (from trader joe's) and a great salad mix. This was a fabulous salad and I can think of so many ways to mix it up. Items that I already have on hand, roasted peppers, salami or ham slices, chick peas or kidney beans, cheddar cheese. I can go on and on! Your options are really endless.

Next time you think about throwing away your leftovers try to put them together in a way that will make a new and exciting salad!

Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

With the economy the way it is I am really starting to think about how much money I spend on food and how much of that food gets wasted. I'm trying as often as I can to reuse my leftovers to make a new dish. This is actually very simple. I didn't have to do anything with my leftovers but the fresh flavors of the mango salsa really brightened up the dish.

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder (you can use fresh garlic instead if you want)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning.

Directions:

Stir together all seasonings with lime juice and oil. Add chicken and coat on both sides.


Turn your grill pan (or outdoor grill) on medium high heat and get your pan very hot. You want to get a nice color on your chicken. Cook for 5 minutes on each side and lower the heat and make sure it's cooked through. Make a small slit in the middle. If the juices run clear the chicken is done.

Top chicken with mango salsa.


Is that easy enough? You can also do this with leftover bruschetta. It tastes great with the chicken!

Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

With the economy the way it is I am really starting to think about how much money I spend on food and how much of that food gets wasted. I'm trying as often as I can to reuse my leftovers to make a new dish. This is actually very simple. I didn't have to do anything with my leftovers but the fresh flavors of the mango salsa really brightened up the dish.

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder (you can use fresh garlic instead if you want)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning.

Directions:

Stir together all seasonings with lime juice and oil. Add chicken and coat on both sides.


Turn your grill pan (or outdoor grill) on medium high heat and get your pan very hot. You want to get a nice color on your chicken. Cook for 5 minutes on each side and lower the heat and make sure it's cooked through. Make a small slit in the middle. If the juices run clear the chicken is done.

Top chicken with mango salsa.


Is that easy enough? You can also do this with leftover bruschetta. It tastes great with the chicken!

Amatriciana Frittata

If you're like me you always have a ton of leftovers that you don't know what to do with. I don't know how to cook for two. I cook for at least four most days. Sometimes I take leftovers for lunch but sometimes there are still leftovers and I can't eat the same thing more than two days in a row, I get bored with it. However, if that dish is changed into something new it's not boring. That's what I did with my leftover Perciatelli all' Amatriciana for a quick lunch. I made a Pasta Fritatta, sometimes called Spaghetti Pie. Yes, normally this is made with spaghetti but it worked just fine with the Perciatelli.

There isn't a recipe for this because it's so simple. I beat two eggs and added a splash of milk like I would if I was making an omelette. I added a spoonful of Romano cheese and set it aside. In a small nonstick frying pan I added about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once heated I added the leftover pasta making sure to include plenty of the diced tomatoes and pancetta. I had some Kalamata olives in the fridge (as always) and I sliced those up and threw them in as well. Once the pasta starts to get a little brown and crispy (my favorite part) I add the egg mixture to the pan and covering all the pasta. You may have to move the eggs around a little with a spatula so the eggs get through the strands of pasta. Once the eggs start to set I threw the pan in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Normally this wouldn't be necessary but since I only used two eggs (didn't want to go to crazy just for me) and the perciatelli is a little floppy, I didn't want to have any trouble flipping it. I let it bake for about 10 minutes and then removed it from the oven. Here's the tricky part, time to flip the Fritatta so the other side gets nice and brown. Do this by placing a plate that is larger than the frying pan over the pan and invert the Fritatta into the plate. This is always a bit scary but it was fine. Then I just slid it back into the pan and back over the flame for a few more minutes. As soon as the second side is cooked (this shouldn't take long at all since the pan is so hot) slide it onto a clean plate and slice like a pie.

This was delicious. The tomatoes were so sweet and the Kalamata olives added a salty kick. I loved it. If you like, serve this with a small side salad.

The photo isn't great but I never said it was the prettiest dish...my stomach didn't mind!

Amatriciana Frittata

If you're like me you always have a ton of leftovers that you don't know what to do with. I don't know how to cook for two. I cook for at least four most days. Sometimes I take leftovers for lunch but sometimes there are still leftovers and I can't eat the same thing more than two days in a row, I get bored with it. However, if that dish is changed into something new it's not boring. That's what I did with my leftover Perciatelli all' Amatriciana for a quick lunch. I made a Pasta Fritatta, sometimes called Spaghetti Pie. Yes, normally this is made with spaghetti but it worked just fine with the Perciatelli.

There isn't a recipe for this because it's so simple. I beat two eggs and added a splash of milk like I would if I was making an omelette. I added a spoonful of Romano cheese and set it aside. In a small nonstick frying pan I added about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once heated I added the leftover pasta making sure to include plenty of the diced tomatoes and pancetta. I had some Kalamata olives in the fridge (as always) and I sliced those up and threw them in as well. Once the pasta starts to get a little brown and crispy (my favorite part) I add the egg mixture to the pan and covering all the pasta. You may have to move the eggs around a little with a spatula so the eggs get through the strands of pasta. Once the eggs start to set I threw the pan in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Normally this wouldn't be necessary but since I only used two eggs (didn't want to go to crazy just for me) and the perciatelli is a little floppy, I didn't want to have any trouble flipping it. I let it bake for about 10 minutes and then removed it from the oven. Here's the tricky part, time to flip the Fritatta so the other side gets nice and brown. Do this by placing a plate that is larger than the frying pan over the pan and invert the Fritatta into the plate. This is always a bit scary but it was fine. Then I just slid it back into the pan and back over the flame for a few more minutes. As soon as the second side is cooked (this shouldn't take long at all since the pan is so hot) slide it onto a clean plate and slice like a pie.

This was delicious. The tomatoes were so sweet and the Kalamata olives added a salty kick. I loved it. If you like, serve this with a small side salad.

The photo isn't great but I never said it was the prettiest dish...my stomach didn't mind!

Pea Soup with Ham

If you make a Ham for the holidays or any day do not throw out the bone. Wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and put in the freezer for soup. I made this soup from the leftover Ham we had at Christmas. Be careful not to salt your soup until it is completely cooked and you taste it for seasoning. Some hams can be very salty. This was a spiral ham and salty enough.

Please pardon my pictures. I didn't notice the air bubbles from my stirring and every photo I took has bubbles in it. You know, now that I think of it, no matter what I do this isn't going to look that great. It is pea soup after all!



Ingredients:

1 leftover meaty ham bone
1 bag split peas
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 small-medium potatoes, diced
6-8 quarts water
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes, optional
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Special Tool – Immersion (stick) Blender

Directions:

Sauté onions, carrots and potatoes in extra virgin olive oil until onions are translucent. Add ham bone to pot with enough water to cover completely. Cover the pot. When water comes to a boil reduce heat to low and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone and place on a cutting board. Remove ham by pulling with a fork or cutting it with a knife. Using two forks shred ham and set aside. Be careful not to shred any of the fat. Meanwhile, continue to cook peas for another 15-20 minutes or until completely tender. Taste and add bouillon cubes if using. Using an immersion blender, blend until all peas and veggies are smooth. If soup seems thick add a little more water. Add shredded ham to pot and stir.

If reheating this soup you may want to add some chicken stock or water because it thickens up quite a bit.

Clean Out the Fridge Bean Soup

Friday night is usually pizza night at our house. I picked that up from my Mom who cooked 6 nights out of the week when we were kids. No matter how much we like to cook, we still need a break every once and a while. However, this week I thought it would be nice to use up all the random items I had left in my fridge, which is how "Clean out the Fridge Bean Soup" got it's name. This is not a rigid recipe. You can add practically anything into this soup. I will let you know where things can be switched out or changed up in the directions.

Ingredients I used (this time!)

1 package of diced pancetta
2 links of Italian sausage
4 slices bacon
2 fresh tomatoes
cooked broccoli (from dinner a few nights ago)
2 potatoes
2 stalks celery plus leaves
2 carrots
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bag Roman beans, soaked for a few hours or overnight (you can use canned to speed this up)
chicken bouillon
extra virgin olive oil
small shaped pasta such as elbows or ditilini

Directions:

Saute pancetta, and bacon in oil in a large pot, when it starts to crips up add sausage. While pork browns chop carrots, celery, onion, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes. Remove pork, and set aside. Add chopped veggies to the pot and finely mince garlic. Add garlic to the top of veggies so they don't burn. Add beans and water. I filled up my big pot because I wanted it to make a lot of soup so I would have leftover. You can add less if you want less juice. Also, you can add more potatoes if you want it to be thicker. Add the bay leaves and let water come to a boil. Once soup reaches a rolling boil, add bouillon and turn the flame down low and simmer and add cooked broccoli if you are using it (If you ware using frozen or fresh put it in with the other veggies). This will take about an hour to cook or more depending on how long you soaked your beans. I only soaked mine for an hour or two so it took about 2 hours from when it came to a boil. Of course, if you used canned beans (and they don't have to be roman you can use cannelini or whatever you prefer) this will only need to cook until the beans warm through and all flavors combine.

I made my pasta in a separate pot because I wanted to freeze the soup (but don't want to freeze the pasta). If I was going to finish this up in the first day or two I would have cooked the pasta right in the pot. The starch in the pasta would thicken the soup which I tend to like better. This way is also perfectly fine and deliciousm, it's a matter of preferance. Hey, you don't even need the pasta if you don't want it but I'm Italian, I'm not turning down pasta!

Serve into deep bowls and top with grated cheese.

Other possible add ins to this soup:

the rind of a chunk of a hard Italian cheese
peas instead of broccoli
pieces of stale bread
couple of tablespoons of leftover tomato sauce or paste
swap out the roman beans for lentils
chopped prosciutto
swap out the pork and add some mini meatballs

The list goes on and on. This dish can be made anyway and anytime. It's simple, easy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Clean Out the Fridge Bean Soup

Friday night is usually pizza night at our house. I picked that up from my Mom who cooked 6 nights out of the week when we were kids. No matter how much we like to cook, we still need a break every once and a while. However, this week I thought it would be nice to use up all the random items I had left in my fridge, which is how "Clean out the Fridge Bean Soup" got it's name. This is not a rigid recipe. You can add practically anything into this soup. I will let you know where things can be switched out or changed up in the directions.

Ingredients I used (this time!)

1 package of diced pancetta
2 links of Italian sausage
4 slices bacon
2 fresh tomatoes
cooked broccoli (from dinner a few nights ago)
2 potatoes
2 stalks celery plus leaves
2 carrots
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bag Roman beans, soaked for a few hours or overnight (you can use canned to speed this up)
chicken bouillon
extra virgin olive oil
small shaped pasta such as elbows or ditilini

Directions:

Saute pancetta, and bacon in oil in a large pot, when it starts to crips up add sausage. While pork browns chop carrots, celery, onion, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes. Remove pork, and set aside. Add chopped veggies to the pot and finely mince garlic. Add garlic to the top of veggies so they don't burn. Add beans and water. I filled up my big pot because I wanted it to make a lot of soup so I would have leftover. You can add less if you want less juice. Also, you can add more potatoes if you want it to be thicker. Add the bay leaves and let water come to a boil. Once soup reaches a rolling boil, add bouillon and turn the flame down low and simmer and add cooked broccoli if you are using it (If you ware using frozen or fresh put it in with the other veggies). This will take about an hour to cook or more depending on how long you soaked your beans. I only soaked mine for an hour or two so it took about 2 hours from when it came to a boil. Of course, if you used canned beans (and they don't have to be roman you can use cannelini or whatever you prefer) this will only need to cook until the beans warm through and all flavors combine.

I made my pasta in a separate pot because I wanted to freeze the soup (but don't want to freeze the pasta). If I was going to finish this up in the first day or two I would have cooked the pasta right in the pot. The starch in the pasta would thicken the soup which I tend to like better. This way is also perfectly fine and deliciousm, it's a matter of preferance. Hey, you don't even need the pasta if you don't want it but I'm Italian, I'm not turning down pasta!

Serve into deep bowls and top with grated cheese.

Other possible add ins to this soup:

the rind of a chunk of a hard Italian cheese
peas instead of broccoli
pieces of stale bread
couple of tablespoons of leftover tomato sauce or paste
swap out the roman beans for lentils
chopped prosciutto
swap out the pork and add some mini meatballs

The list goes on and on. This dish can be made anyway and anytime. It's simple, easy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Rice Croquettes

Most people are familiar with the traditional rice ball. I love them. I love the Sicilian ones too (shhh! Nanny wouldn't be happy about that! lol) but this is something much more simple than that. This is a great way to use up leftover rice, they can be a great appetizer maybe even served with a dipping sauce of your choice or you could have them the way Nanny intended...as they are. I don't remember that there was ever a actual reason or occasion that she made these. She made them, we ate them, end of story. They are delicious and simple and again remind me of my childhood. Thanks again to Mom and to my Aunt Maryann who helped me out and told me how to make the croquettes.

Ingredients

1 cup of Carolina rice, prepared according to box and rinsed (makes 3 cups cooked)***

1 egg, beaten

About 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 cup - 1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Fresh or dried chopped parsley, optional

salt and pepper, to taste

Canola oil, for frying

***NOTE - Rice must be very cold and dry. Cook rice the day before and refrigerate for best results.


Directions

1. Add all ingredients (except for oil) to bowl with cold rice and mix. Rice should stick together nicely. If mixture is too wet add more breadcrumbs.

2. Add oil to a nonstick pan and let it get hot enough for frying.

3. Meanwhile, form rice mixture into egg shaped patties.

4. When oil is hot, gently place croquettes into oil. Do not touch them until nicely browned, then flip.

5. Place croquettes on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Makes approx 15 croquettes.


ENJOY!!!

Rice Croquettes

Most people are familiar with the traditional rice ball. I love them. I love the Sicilian ones too (shhh! Nanny wouldn't be happy about that! lol) but this is something much more simple than that. This is a great way to use up leftover rice, they can be a great appetizer maybe even served with a dipping sauce of your choice or you could have them the way Nanny intended...as they are. I don't remember that there was ever a actual reason or occasion that she made these. She made them, we ate them, end of story. They are delicious and simple and again remind me of my childhood. Thanks again to Mom and to my Aunt Maryann who helped me out and told me how to make the croquettes.

Ingredients

1 cup of Carolina rice, prepared according to box and rinsed (makes 3 cups cooked)***

1 egg, beaten

About 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 cup - 1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Fresh or dried chopped parsley, optional

salt and pepper, to taste

Canola oil, for frying

***NOTE - Rice must be very cold and dry. Cook rice the day before and refrigerate for best results.


Directions

1. Add all ingredients (except for oil) to bowl with cold rice and mix. Rice should stick together nicely. If mixture is too wet add more breadcrumbs.

2. Add oil to a nonstick pan and let it get hot enough for frying.

3. Meanwhile, form rice mixture into egg shaped patties.

4. When oil is hot, gently place croquettes into oil. Do not touch them until nicely browned, then flip.

5. Place croquettes on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Makes approx 15 croquettes.


ENJOY!!!

Stracciatella Soup

Nanny was great at using leftovers to make an entirely new meal. She was a big fan of adding an egg to soups or pasta for extra flavor and as she always said "to give you strength". I used some of the leftover ingredients from the bakespace challenge to make an incredibly hearty soup that Nanny would be proud of. This recipe just came to me in a dream. I'm not kidding. I woke up several times throughout the night because I was so excited about the soup. I don't have an exact recipe with measurements since I used leftovers but feel free to change this up however you like. In my mind this is a kicked up stracciatella soup (roman egg drop soup).

I sauteed onions, celery and carrots in extra virgin olive oil until they were tender. Then I added water and chicken bouillon and the rind from a hunk of parmigiano reggiano cheese. When that came to a boil I added the spinach, some shredded rotisserie chicken and a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce. That's a trick my mom always does to add some color to soups and stews. We usually use very small cans of Del Monte tomato sauce but this time I had some in my fridge that I already made myself. In a seperate bowl I beat two eggs with some grated locatelli romano cheese. I lowered the heat and beat in the egg and cheese mixture in a slow stream to create little egg "rags". This is similar to the look of chinese egg drop soup but without the thickness you get from the cornstarch. I then cooked some tortellini right in the pot with the soup and veggies.

Hearty and delicious!

Stracciatella Soup

Nanny was great at using leftovers to make an entirely new meal. She was a big fan of adding an egg to soups or pasta for extra flavor and as she always said "to give you strength". I used some of the leftover ingredients from the bakespace challenge to make an incredibly hearty soup that Nanny would be proud of. This recipe just came to me in a dream. I'm not kidding. I woke up several times throughout the night because I was so excited about the soup. I don't have an exact recipe with measurements since I used leftovers but feel free to change this up however you like. In my mind this is a kicked up stracciatella soup (roman egg drop soup).

I sauteed onions, celery and carrots in extra virgin olive oil until they were tender. Then I added water and chicken bouillon and the rind from a hunk of parmigiano reggiano cheese. When that came to a boil I added the spinach, some shredded rotisserie chicken and a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce. That's a trick my mom always does to add some color to soups and stews. We usually use very small cans of Del Monte tomato sauce but this time I had some in my fridge that I already made myself. In a seperate bowl I beat two eggs with some grated locatelli romano cheese. I lowered the heat and beat in the egg and cheese mixture in a slow stream to create little egg "rags". This is similar to the look of chinese egg drop soup but without the thickness you get from the cornstarch. I then cooked some tortellini right in the pot with the soup and veggies.

Hearty and delicious!