What is the best thing to do when storing a leftover cooked pasta?

Cooked pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within two days. Pasta that has been cooked but has not been mixed with sauce should be tossed with extra-virgin olive oil prior to being stored to avoid clumping.

How do you jazz up leftover pasta?

Stir-Fried Noodles Treat cooked noodles like leftover rice and stir-fry them quickly in a hot pan with chopped veggies and leftover cooked meat. Hit with soy sauce to finish. Long noodles are the classic choice here, but short pasta shapes like orzo would work well too.

How do you jazz up old pasta?

Spread your leftovers out evenly on a baking tray and bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once about halfway through . This will give you evenly heated pasta and some nice crispy bites of toasted deliciousness. To take this up a notch, add a little cheese on top. Yum!

What can I put in pasta instead of sauce?

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce . Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Is 5 day old pasta OK to eat?

As you can see, no pasta, once cooked, is going to last longer than 5 days . In fact, if it's been in the fridge that long, it's probably best to get rid of it. Pasta lasts longer if it's been cooked in a sauce, such as leftover spaghetti bolognese or in lasagna, as this helps to preserve the ingredients.

How do you not waste leftover pasta?

To use it in your next meal make a pasta frittata ! Mix the pasta with eggs and any extra add-ins you like and then cook it until it is set. Try this Leek and Spaghetti Frittata or these Mini Pasta Frittatas. Depending on the season, turn your leftover pasta into a salad or put it into a soup.

Why is leftover pasta so good?

Food develops new flavour molecules, and for us, that means it tastes better . According to the study, proteins may further breakdown when the leftovers are reheated, producing new flavours which wouldn't have been there when the food was freshly cooked. Think of spaghetti bolognese. Or a pot of curry.

How long is leftover pasta with tomato sauce good for?

Homemade pasta sauce can be kept in the fridge for three to four days and store-bought sauce can last for up to four days. Homemade pasta should last in the fridge for one to two days and cooked pasta should keep in the fridge for three to five days.

What can I eat with spaghetti sauce instead of pasta?

I suggest that there are many delicious side dishes that can be served with tomato-based spaghetti sauce, other than spaghetti. Some options include garlic bread, roasted vegetables like zucchini or eggplant, a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing, or a creamy risotto .

How to make day old pasta good?

Method #1: Place in boiling water Start by boiling a large pot of salted water. Place your leftover noodles in a colander and dip into the boiling water. Allow pasta to heat for about 30 seconds before removing from the water. Toss the pasta with your leftover sauce and toppings and serve.

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (2024)

Is there anything better than a big plate of yummy pasta? Mmmmmm… But we all know that it starts tasting a little less yummy on days two or three. Save yourself from mealtime boredom by mixing it up with one of our creative recipes for using up that leftover pasta in a new way!

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (1)

We get it. You want to be resourceful and eat up all those leftovers rather than letting them go to waste. But, sometimes you just can’t stand to dish up another round of the same old pasta with sauce.

*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

MAKE YOUR LEFTOVERS WORK FOR YOU

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (2)

The best way to get a brand-spankin' new meal out of your leftover pasta is to leave it plain, so you can fix it up however you want. We suggest only adding sauce to your freshly-made pasta in an amount that you'll eat at that meal. (And if you've already added sauce to your pasta, no worries! We have some great ideas for you below.)

Once you've gotten all the pasta you need for your current meal, add butter or olive oil to your warm pasta to keep it from sticking. Trust us, you don't want to be left with a sticky, clumpy mess of pasta to deal with later! Put it in an airtight food storage container in your fridge to use later in the week.

Pro Tip: If you have leftover pasta sauce, no worries! Add it to a freezer bag, get all the air out, and freeze it until the next time you need it.

FIX UP A DELICIOUS LUNCH WITH THESE LEFTOVER PASTA RECIPES

Lunchtime is the perfect opportunity to repurpose those leftover noodles into a simple, filling dish. Here are a couple of quick, cold options that you can throw together for a weekday lunch:

QUICK AND EASY DINNER OPTIONS

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (3)

Pasta can make for a super quick and easy dinner dish. Since your noodles are already cooked, it will be even faster to throw together! Don’t overlook the power of using different savory flavors with your pasta to make them feel new and original. Often, if you steer away from an Italian-style dish to a different flavor vibe, that's enough to do the trick! Here are a couple of dinner recipe suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

Ham and Noodle Casserole – Nothing is more classic than a noodle casserole. Add some diced ham, veggies, and a cheesy sauce (like what we use in our homemade macaroni and cheese), then bake until bubbly.
Stir Fry – Your leftover noodles can replace rice in a quick stir fry. Just toss in a hot pan (woks work best if you have one!) with soy sauce, some chopped veggies, and chicken for an easy peasy meal.
Chicken Noodle Soup – Cook up some homemade chicken soup using your favorite family recipe and toss in those leftover noodles.
Pizza Casserole – Mix leftover noodles, homemade pasta sauce, olives, pepperoni, and cheese together and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until golden bubbly.
Re-Imagined Mac & Cheese – Use your leftover noodles to create our

We’re sure there are dozens of other recipes you can think up to put those noodles to good use. Basically, anything that uses a base of rice or potatoes will work just as well with pasta, too.

SAUCY LEFTOVER PASTA RECIPES

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (4)

Sometimes you just make too much pasta with sauce and have leftovers, but that's okay! You don't have to reheat them as-is to keep from being wasteful. Here are some of our favorite saucy leftover pasta recipes that you're definitely going to want to try:

Lasagna Soup – Take your lasagna (regular or roll-ups), chop up those noodles, and stretch it into a new and delicious meal! Add in enough broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings to get it to your liking. Don't be afraid to throw in some pre-cooked ground beef and sautéed onion!
Italian Skilletini – Take your leftover pasta and sauce and throw it in a skillet. Add in cooked Italian sausage, any chopped veggies you need to use up (grape tomatoes, squash, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, eggplant, etc.), garlic, and some mozzarella or parmesan cheese. You can't go wrong with this dish, it's so good!
Creamy Alfredo Soup – Leftover Alfredo pasta is just begging to turn into soup, right?! Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large pot, add some garlic, and whisk in ¼ cup flour for a few minutes. Add in up to 4 cups chicken broth and 1 cup milk or half and half (depending on how many leftovers you have) and let simmer for about 15 minutes until thickened. Add in your leftover pasta and cooked meat (shredded chicken, sausage, and shrimp are all good!) and stir until heated through. Don't hold back on the parmesan cheese, either! 😉
Cajun Alfredo – Easily turn your leftovers into a new meal! Heat up your leftover Alfredo in a skillet, add some sausage, cajun seasoning, maybe a little bit extra parmesan or milk/heavy cream, and voila! A new meal with a nice little kick.

Pro Tip: It is SO easy to create your own pasta meal! You can seriously take everything you have and make it work for you. Use these tips from our build your own pasta post and never worry about a recipe again!

CAN YOU FREEZE LEFTOVER PASTA?

Good news, yes!!! If you’ve already gone a little heavy on pasta in your meal plan this week, then you can toss buttered (or olive-oiled) cooked pasta into a freezer bag. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer. When it’s time to use it up, just thaw it in the fridge first and then dump it into a pot of boiling water for a minute to heat the noodles. They will taste good as new!

If you are looking for even more leftover pasta recipes and all other types of leftovers, then you won’t want to miss our article with 70+ ways to repurpose leftover s from Fun Cheap or Free.

What's your favorite leftover pasta recipes that you always turn to? We're always looking for new ideas! Share them with us below.

12 Creative Leftover Pasta Recipes - Shelf Cooking (5)

Need more meal hacks and ways to repurpose leftovers?

Learn fun ways to cook together with your family.
Get our list of 40 food hacks that will change your life.
Find more ways to repurpose leftovers to make them brand new.

Pasta la vista!