Twirl That Spaghetti One More Time

Leftover spaghetti sounds like dorm food, but you can dress it up easily by turning it into a frittata. All you need are some vegetables on the side and you’ve got dinner. The selection presented here is just a suggestion; you can vary the vegetables.

Plan this meal for a night after a big spaghetti dinner. Make sure to save some cooked spaghetti--without sauce.

It takes a little skill to tip the frittata from the skillet onto a plate then turn it back into the skillet to finish cooking. Just work quickly and carefully, and you should be fine.

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Pesto Pasta Frittata

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian

Serve this to all your veggie-loving friends.

3 cups broccoli florets

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups quartered pattypan squash

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

8 eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup prepared pesto

4 cups cooked spaghetti

2 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

4 portabello mushrooms, stemmed, gills removed

Salt, pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

Cook the broccoli and asparagus together in boiling water until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pattypan squash in a separate saucepan of boiling water until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the squash from the pan using a slotted spoon and set it aside; add the bell pepper to the water and cook it until tender, 5 minutes. As soon as each vegetable is done, place it in a bowl of ice water to shock it, then drain it and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl for 1 minute. Add the cheese, pesto and cooked spaghetti and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture. Let it cook without stirring. After 8 minutes, start checking the bottom of the frittata with a spatula; when it is lightly browned and the top is starting to set, place a large plate over the skillet and carefully flip the frittata onto the plate. (The eggs will run a little, but that’s OK because you’ll be turning the frittata back into the skillet.) Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and quickly slide in the frittata from the plate. Cook until the frittata is firm and lightly browned, 8 to 10 more minutes. Gently cut into it on the side to make sure the center is done.

While the frittata cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Rub each mushroom with 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Fry the mushrooms until soft, turning halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the garlic until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, asparagus, squash, bell pepper and salt and pepper to taste and cook until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn the frittata onto a serving plate and cut into pieces. Slice the mushrooms and serve with frittata wedges and the vegetables.

4 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 364 calories; 307 mg sodium; 220 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 5.51 grams fiber.