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Fried pasta is not even a recipe; it is what we, Italians, do when we have pasta leftover and don t want to cook anything. Fried cooked pasta is a classic in Itay and very popular with children.
The best fried leftover spaghetti
When we were children, my mother used to make it for us when they had guests coming for dinner. She was sure we would get out of their way, eating it in our room in front of a cartoon.
Fried pasta is easy and quick to do and you can fry any cooked pasta.
But be aware, if your leftover pasta has been seasoned with tomatoes sauce, you will not have a crunchy fried pasta.
My favourite pasta a frittata is made by frying leftover spaghetti or linguine with pesto crunchy and full of cheese.
How to make leftover fried pasta
- On 1 portion of leftover pasta add 1 egg and 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
- Mix them with a fork
- In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 of olive oil
- Pour in the pasta and let it fry for a few minutes
- Turn it around like an omelette.
- You can use the pan cover and slide it back in the pan to cook the other side.
- Place on a plate and enjoy
When to make it
Fried pasta can be done in only 3 minutes.
If you don’t have anything in the fridge and have a busy day ahead, I make sure I have some extra pasta to fry for next day lunch.
It is so fast to make that I sometimes make it in the morning for my boys’ school lunch. Add some salad and they have a complete lunch.
Tips to make the best crunchy fried pasta
- You can boil the pasta and fry it, but you will have better results if the pasta is from the day before and it is completely cold.
- Any type of pasta can be fried, and you can make it crunchy and thin or thick and soft.
- The secret for a crunchy fried pasta is to use the right amount of pasta per egg and the addition of parmesan cheese.
- If you don’t want to use the egg, you can still stir fry the pasta by turning it regularly with a wooden spoon.
More of my favourite fried recipe
If you are craving for fried food, you may want to check out these other recipes:
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A typical Mediterranean dish: Fried Zucchini Flowers or Squash blossom in English, and in France they are called Beignets de Fleurs de Courgette. You can find different recipes for the batter as well as the filling, I use a simple batter flavoured with saffron and fill them with mozzarella and ham. #yourguardianchef #flowers #Italianfood #starters
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homemade chicken nuggets recipe
Chicken nuggets flavourved bread crumbs with Parmesan and basil #yourguaridnchef #parmesan #friedfood #Italianfood
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Fried dough pizza recipe is a traditional dish originating from the Neapolitan street food after War world 2. This plate is simple to make and easy to present at parties as it can be warmed up just before serving. It is a traditional recipe from Naple #yourguardianchef #pizza #italianfood #pizzarecipes #pizza
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Classic Veal Milanese
Veal Milanese is a fried breaded veal cutlet, a typical recipe from Milan usually served with an arugula salad and/or french fries. #yourguardianchef #Italianrecipe #italianfood #veal
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Rissole à la Dauphine
Escoffier uses rissole as a generic term for starters which includes a filling made of salpicon wrapped in a pastry that can be of different kinds: brioche pastry without sugar, puff pastry or short pastry, usually, fried. Salpicon is a generic term for a mix of different ingredients minced and combined with a sauce. #yourguardianchef #appetizerrecipes #appetizersforparty #appetizerrecipeschristmas
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Pasta a Frittata: Italian Fried Pasta
This is not even a recipe; fried pasta is what Italian do when we have pasta leftover and don t want to cook anything. It is very popular with children. #yourguardianchef #pasta #Italianfood
Prep Time1 min
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time6 mins
Servings: 1 people
Calories: 487kcal
Ingredients
- 3 oz left over pasta at room temperature My favourite are is leftover spaghetti with green pesto.
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
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Instructions
- You can either cook 100 gr of spaghetti, or use leftovers. Even if seasoned it is fine.
- Make sure they are at room temperature
- Mix them with the egg and the Parmesan
- Fry in a pan with butter
- When it becomes brown and crunchy (like in the picture) turn it around with the help of the pan cover and slide it back in the pan to cook the other side
- Enjoy warm or a t room temperature
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Notes
Tips and tricks:
- You can boil the pasta and fry it, but you will have better results if the pasta is from the day before and it is completely cold.
- Any type of pasta can be fried, and you can make it crunchy and thin or thick and soft.
- The secret for a crunchy fried pasta is to use the right amount of pasta per egg and the addition of parmesan cheese.
- If you don't want to use the egg, you can still stir fry the pasta by turning it regularly with a wooden spoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Pasta a Frittata: Italian Fried Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 487 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 207mg69%
Sodium 394mg17%
Potassium 98mg3%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 720IU14%
Calcium 191mg19%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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My mom used to make this. It was such a treat and I think of it as comfort food! Thanks for reminding me of this recipe. It looks fabulous!
Such a simple idea. I hate to think how much pasta I must have thrown away over the years as I didn’t know what to do with it…
LOL, now you know