This is a narrative-style recipe that warrents inclusion because...what do you do with leftover spaghetti so that it's not gluey, flavorless, and soggy with watery tomato sauce?
Answer: Fry it in a pan. I don't mean "fry" as in "deep fry". Just reheating it really. Spaghetti is one of those things that just tastes better if you avoid the microwave. The sauce will thicken up a little bit, the noodles regain a significant amount of bite, and the whole thing is just a tad crispy so it's not exactly the same thing you had for dinner the night before.
Convinced? Get out a medium to large skillet, put a very little oil in it, and turn the burner on to medium-low heat. Let it heat up a little bit, then put in your leftover spaghetti, sauce** and all. Cook in the skillet, addling* it occasionally to keep it from sticking, until it is nice and piping hot. Serve immediately.
_________
*Addling is traditionally done to scrambled eggs, but I feel that the word best describes what Grandmom does when she reheats leftover spaghetti. What is addling? Basically, you get your cooking implement (a spoon or spatula) and kind of poke at the contents of your pan. It's not as aggressive as scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it, and it's not as rapid as sauteing. To the untrained eye, it looks like playing with the contents of the pan. Poke it around some. There, now you're addling.
**If you made your spaghetti the Italian way to start with, you tossed the cooked noodles in about 1/2 C. of the tomato sauce to lubricate them. Because Italians do not dump their pasta in a collander and run cold water over it "to keep it from sticking." In addition, Italian-style cooked pasta is always boiled with about 1 TB of olive oil and some salt. So sticking to each other is not really a big concern!
This recipe embodies every good Italian woman's number one lesson, learned at the breast and not abandoned until the grave: "Finish, finish! Must not waste!" Throw out week old spaghetti? Not on your life! We must EAT it! Every bite! Over and over and over again until it's gone. "Finish! Must not waste!" This chant is used as an encouragement, cajoling, or guilt-inducer. It's the Italian version of starving people in China.
Answer: Fry it in a pan. I don't mean "fry" as in "deep fry". Just reheating it really. Spaghetti is one of those things that just tastes better if you avoid the microwave. The sauce will thicken up a little bit, the noodles regain a significant amount of bite, and the whole thing is just a tad crispy so it's not exactly the same thing you had for dinner the night before.
Convinced? Get out a medium to large skillet, put a very little oil in it, and turn the burner on to medium-low heat. Let it heat up a little bit, then put in your leftover spaghetti, sauce** and all. Cook in the skillet, addling* it occasionally to keep it from sticking, until it is nice and piping hot. Serve immediately.
_________
*Addling is traditionally done to scrambled eggs, but I feel that the word best describes what Grandmom does when she reheats leftover spaghetti. What is addling? Basically, you get your cooking implement (a spoon or spatula) and kind of poke at the contents of your pan. It's not as aggressive as scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it, and it's not as rapid as sauteing. To the untrained eye, it looks like playing with the contents of the pan. Poke it around some. There, now you're addling.
**If you made your spaghetti the Italian way to start with, you tossed the cooked noodles in about 1/2 C. of the tomato sauce to lubricate them. Because Italians do not dump their pasta in a collander and run cold water over it "to keep it from sticking." In addition, Italian-style cooked pasta is always boiled with about 1 TB of olive oil and some salt. So sticking to each other is not really a big concern!
This recipe embodies every good Italian woman's number one lesson, learned at the breast and not abandoned until the grave: "Finish, finish! Must not waste!" Throw out week old spaghetti? Not on your life! We must EAT it! Every bite! Over and over and over again until it's gone. "Finish! Must not waste!" This chant is used as an encouragement, cajoling, or guilt-inducer. It's the Italian version of starving people in China.
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