Leftover Pasta Refresh

Bob Johnson

Remember heating leftover pasta on a work truck engine? Bob has come a long way since then! This brilliant technique reinvigorates leftover pasta with sautéed vegetables, cherry tomatoes, Marsala wine, and white balsamic vinegar — turning yesterday's leftovers into something that tastes completely intentional.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings: 2

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Pasta

2 cups left over pasta of any type

Vegetables and Sauce

1 cup cherry tomatoes and/or chopped tomatoes
3 handfuls fresh spinach
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter, divided
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp Marsala wine
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
2-3 oz hard stick pepperoni sliced in 1/8 pieces optional

Finishing

2 tbsp Parmesan grated
2 tbsp Romano grated

Garlic Bread

2 Italian rolls or Italian bread slices
olive oil for grilling

Equipment

Wide deep nonstick pan with lid
Grill pan or large pan for bread

Method

Start the base. In a wide deep nonstick pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and allow to sweat for a few minutes.
Add the pepperoni. If using, add the sliced pepperoni to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
Build the vegetables. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the spinach, garlic, and Marsala wine, cover and continue to cook until the spinach just starts to wilt. Remove the cover and stir to combine.
Add the pasta. Add the leftover pasta to the pan and mix well to combine. Cook on medium low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until everything is heated through and well combined.
Serve. Spoon into bowls, splash on the white balsamic vinegar, and top with Parmesan and Romano cheese.
Grill the bread. Split the Italian rolls or slice the bread. Drizzle the remaining olive oil onto a grill or large pan and heat to medium high. Grill the bread until golden brown on both sides. Serve alongside the pasta.

Notes

This recipe works with any leftover pasta, long, short, shaped, it doesn't matter. The Marsala wine and white balsamic are what elevate this from reheated leftovers to a genuinely delicious meal. The white balsamic goes on at the very end off the heat — its bright flavor would disappear if cooked. Bronze cut pasta like De Cecco holds up especially well as a leftover since its rougher surface stays firm rather than going mushy. Bob used to reheat leftover pasta on his work truck engine — this method is considerably better! This recipe appears in the Pizza and Pasta chapter of the Left Over Ranch Cookbook.