Finally, A Useful Idea For All That Leftover Spaghetti

Dripping in savory, tangy red sauce, spaghetti is one of those abundant dishes we always seem to have leftovers of. After all, when making such a classic dish, it's easy to have eyes bigger than your stomach. But leftover spaghetti isn't always as tempting as it was fresh out of the pot, so instead of reheating it in the microwave, reinvent the wheel by sculpting it into an entirely new dish — spaghetti casserole.

Microwaving leftover spaghetti can lead to uneven reheating, broken sauce, and nuked noodles. But when you combine those fragile leftovers with a few simple ingredients and bake them in the oven, you can enjoy an entirely new dish that maintains its integrity. To make leftover spaghetti casserole, you'll need a deep baking vessel like this 9x13 Dowan Casserole Dish, the leftover noodles and sauce, Parmesan cheese for richness, and an egg to bind the ingredients together. Bake the dish for about 30 minutes, then remove and top it with additional shredded mozzarella before baking for a few more minutes. This helps achieve that classic tiered casserole quality. 

The oven will gently and effectively warm your upgraded leftovers, allowing them to develop a subtle, golden-brown char on the top that gives way to those tender noodles and pasta sauce underneath. Gone are the days when you begrudgingly ate leftover spaghetti as it is — this life-changing food hack guarantees you'll look forward to last night's pasta every time.

Even when you're not in the mood for leftovers, you have to admit it's easier than making a fresh meal from scratch. Luckily, spaghetti casserole is equal parts convenient and flavorful. But if you want to give this reanimated pasta dish even more pizzazz, there are plenty of low-effort fixings that can take it to the next level.

If you didn't originally make your spaghetti with ground meat, or you managed to finish off the meatballs you crowned it with, consider introducing cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, or shredded chicken to fill out the dish. When introducing that final layer of cheese towards the end of the cooking process, introduce mushrooms for an extra hit of savory umami goodness. Other great veggie additions might include caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes (you could even make your own sun-dried tomatoes in the oven if you don't already have any), and black olives. Don't forget breadcrumbs for some crunchy structure and Italian spices like basil and oregano to give these anything-but-ordinary leftovers a garden-fresh aromatic trim.

Leftover spaghetti casserole is a flavor-forward way to reduce food waste while giving a day-old meal a fresh-out-of-the-oven appeal. However, baked pasta dishes aren't just reserved for leftovers, and if you enjoy this resurrected better-than-before meal, try making a cheesy chicken Parmesan spaghetti bake with fresh ingredients. The only question left is — how will you transform those leftovers?