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white bowl full of leftover spaghetti cooked with bacon and tomatoes.
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Quick Leftover Spaghetti Recipe

This is the most delicious way to use leftover spaghetti. It takes only 20 minutes to prep and cook, and you only need a few ingredients!
Course Pasta Recipes
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
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.
    1 onion + 3 oz bacon
  • Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet on high heat. Add oil and butter and let the butter foam gently.
    1 ½ tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter
  • 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.
    8 oz cherry tomatoes + 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Add the halved spaghetti and stir well for about 4-5 minutes until they are heated through.
    1 lb spaghetti
  • Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper and stir well for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
    1 cup cheese
  • Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
    ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Notes

  1. Pasta: You can use any type of cooked pasta you have.
  2. From scratch: If you don’t have leftovers, cook about 9 oz (250 g) pasta, drain well, and let cool and dry slightly before frying.
  3. Bacon: Already cubed bacon (or pancetta), 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. Tomatoes: 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