the treadmill diaries

Pasta is a favorite at our house so we’re making it all the time.  But, we never stop to measure out the number of servings we plan to eat …instead we just dump the whole box in and then deal with the leftovers.

This is even more true when we’re talking about spaghetti. 

Why?  Because my husband absolutely LOVES the stuff..but I can’t stand how thin and stringy it is.  And how it clumps together into a sticky ball as soon as you leave it unattended for a few seconds.  So, when it’s made, I tend to steer clear of it.

What to do with the leftover spaghetti or pasta then?  Take a play from my Mom’s personal cookbook and make spaghetti (or pasta) pizza with it.  Yep, I said pizza. 

To pull this off, you’ll need a few ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cold, leftover pasta with a little bit of sauce mixed in
• 1/3 c parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 oz cooked ham, cubed and fried up in a pan
• 1 egg plus 1/2 cup egg whites
• salt & pepper to taste

Making the dish is really simple.  All you do is:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
• Bring a small to medium-sized oven-safe, frying pan to med-high temp
• Coat the frying pan with cooking spray or a little olive oil
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour them into the frying pan
• Cook for 5-10 min so the bottom begins to crisp and the egg begins to set
• Move pan to oven and finish cooking for 20-25 min until crispy on top
• Remove from heat, allow to cool for 10 min
• Move to a plate and cut into 6-8 slices and serve

And there you have it…a quick, tasty way to give your pasta leftovers a makeover and to make a pretty decent appetizer or side for one of your meals.  I have to warn you that while this pizza is baking, your house will smell absolutely heavenly…melted cheese, sizzling ham, and crispy pasta oh my.

And on top of the flavor goodness you can expect, this recipe also can be adjusted to fit into any nutritional plan.  Therefore, it’s a win win. 

Hope you get a chance to try it and enjoy.