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Leftover Pasta Fritters

A sensational way to turn dull, dried up leftover pasta into something ridiculously delicious. You can use any type of pasta to make these. This is a sensational fast meal - it will take you 15 minutes to make 12 of them if you use a large fry pan so you can cook them in 2 batches. Inspired by Hapa Nom Nom's Spaghetti Pizza.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 168 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer , Snacks , Others

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (packed) cold leftover pasta (sauce and pasta mixed together), packed (Note 1)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese (optional) (Note 2)
  • salt and pepper , to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Roughy chop the pasta (I placed the pasta in a bowl and cut it with scissors).
  2. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs (start with 3/4 cup) and cheese. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Scoop up a ball and flatten it slightly to test if it holds together ok. If required, add more panko. (Note 3)
  4. Heat olive oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.
  5. Scoop up a level 1/3 cup of the mixture (packed well) and place in the fry pan (tap the bottom of the cup to get the mixture to drop out into the pan). Use the bottom of the cup measure to pat the mixture into 1 cm / 2/5" thickness. Repeat to make however many fritters you can fit in the pan.
  6. Cook the first side for around 2 minutes or until it turns a dark brown and crispy. Turn, then cook the other side until crispy (around 1 to 1 1/2 minutes).
  7. Remove from the pan onto a paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining batter.
  8. Serve immediately. Garnish with finely chopped parsley leaves and freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Notes

  • This is best made with leftover pasta that has been in the fridge at least overnight. Leftover pasta dries up and sticks together which helps these fritters hold together.
  • If you want to make this with fresh pasta, increase the egg to 1 egg per cup of pasta and add at least 50% more panko (extra binding).
  • You can use cheddar, tasty, gruyere, or any other melting cheese of choice. If you want to use Parmesan cheese, reduce it to 1/3 cup (as the flavour and salt is sharper than other cheeses).
  • Use the panko to control how well the mixture holds together. Different pastas have different levels of wetness. You just need the mixture to be sticky enough to hold together. The ragu I used was quite saucy so I needed 1 1/4 cups of panko breadcrumbs.
  • These freeze very well - let them cool, place in an airtight container then freeze. Reheat from frozen in the oven (or thaw and reheat). I recommend using the oven so they crisp up. :)
  •  The nutrition for this is difficult to provide because it depends on what type of leftover pasta you are using. This is an estimation of the nutrition assuming you use leftover spaghetti bolognaise.

Nutrition Information

Serving 53g Calories 168cal (8%) Carbohydrates 22.5g (8%) Protein 6.6g (13%) Fat 5.7g (9%) Saturated Fat 1.7g (9%) Cholesterol 56mg (19%) Sodium 97mg (4%) Potassium 85mg (2%) Sugar 0.5g (1%) Vitamin A 100IU (2%) Calcium 60mg (6%) Iron 1.6mg (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168

% Daily Value*

Serving 53g
Calories 168cal 8%
Carbohydrates 22.5g 8%
Protein 6.6g 13%
Fat 5.7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.7g 9%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 97mg 4%
Potassium 85mg 2%
Sugar 0.5g 1%
Vitamin A 100IU 2%
Calcium 60mg 6%
Iron 1.6mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.