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Leftover Pasta Pizza

An amazing use for any leftover pasta with tomato sauce. Leftover pasta pizza is so simple yet impressive for a quick weeknight dinner or lunch and no one will mind eating leftovers!! 
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword leftover pasta ideas, leftover pasta pizza, leftover spaghetti recipe, leftoverpasta recipe, recipe with leftover pasta, recipe with leftover spaghetti
Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 360kcal
Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

  • 2 and ½ cups leftover pasta with tomato sauce, refer notes
  • 1 large egg
  • cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 to 1 and ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, refer notes
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
  • 1 and ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • shredded fresh basil, to garnish

Instructions

  • Use cold or room temperature pasta. 
    If using spaghetti or any longer shaped pasta then chop 'em ( place pasta in a large bowl and roughly chop with scissors). 
  • Add egg, breadcrumbs, ½ cup mozzarella ( if your pasta has cheese already then you can skip this), salt and pepper (if required). Mix well to combine. 
  • Add olive oil to a (cold)non-stick pan and spread around. Add pasta mixture and spread uniformly while packing them to cover the base.  

To cook leftover pasta pizza on stovetop only

  • Place pan over high heat and lower heat to medium-low as soon as you hear the oil sizzle. Let pizza continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan over top, cover with a lid and continue to cook until cheese melts. 
     Transfer pan on to a wire rack and sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top. After about 3-5 minutes, loosen the edges with a rubber spatula and gently transfer pizza onto a cutting board and cut into slices. 

To cook leftover pasta pizza in oven

  • Pre heat the oven's broiler with rack set about 8-inches from heat element. 
    Place pan over high heat and lower to medium-low as soon as you hear the oil sizzle. Let leftover pasta pizza continue to cook for about 2-minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan over top and immediately transfer pan ( pan is hot, careful) in to the oven. Continue to cook until cheese melts ( Keep a very close eye, since it will go from melted to burned in a few seconds ). 
    Transfer pan on to a wire rack and sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top. After about 3-5 minutes, loosen the edges with a rubber spatula and gently transfer pizza onto a cutting board and cut into slices. 

Notes

Non-stick pan is a must for this recipe. If using the broiler method, then make sure that the pan is oven safe. 
I used a 9-inch non-stick saute pan 
Any leftover pasta with tomato or marinara sauce with/without cheese works well. If using pasta without cheese then stir in some into the leftover pasta. 
Use cold or room temperature pasta and not hot/warm. 
Use mozzarella as much as or as little as you'd like. It's pizza after all!
About 5.2 ounces of uncooked pasta is perfect for this recipe. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 373IU | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 1mg