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tangled noodles with bacon and tomatoes close up.
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Quick Leftover Spaghetti Recipe

The most delicious way of dealing with leftover spaghetti. Fry the pasta with bacon and onions and add some grated cheese, your family will be delighted. Dinner ready in about 20 minutes.
Course Pasta Recipes
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 558kcal
Author Adina

Equipment

  • Large skillet (cast-iron or nonstick pan)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti, cooked Notes 1, 2
  • 1 onion medium
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
  • 3 oz bacon lean, Notes 3,4
  • 8 oz cherry tomatoes Note 5
  • 1 teaspoon oregano Note 6
  • 1 cup cheese grated, Note 7
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher, more to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
US - EU

Instructions

  • Chop the onion finely. Chop the bacon if necessary. Set aside
  • Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet on high heat. Add oil and butter and let the butter foam gently.
  • Add onions and bacon. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are softer.
  • Halve the cherry tomatoes, add them to the pan together with the oregano. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the halved spaghetti and stir well for about 4-5 minutes until they are heated through.
  • Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper and stir well for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
  • Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. You can use any type of cooked pasta you have.
  2. If you don’t have leftovers, cook about 9 oz (250 g) pasta, drain well and let cool and dry slightly before frying.
  3. Already cubed bacon if available. Otherwise, chopped regular bacon.
  4. For a vegetarian dish, replace bacon with vegetable cubes like zucchini, eggplants, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli florets, carrots, etc. Cook the veggies together with the onions until soft. Add some garlic if desired.
  5. Or chopped regular-sized tomatoes. But cherry tomatoes have more flavor.
  6. For a spicier dish, add some red chili flakes or cayenne pepper to taste.
  7. Cheddar or Gouda are my first choices, but any other type of good-melting cheese is fine. For example, try Swiss, Provolone, Colby, Monterey Jack, or a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan. Or Feta.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 2mg