Leftover Pasta Recipes (2024)

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Have you ever made too much pasta before? I know I sure have! For some reason, I make too much pasta or not enough. There are many Leftover Pasta Recipes to make so the pasta doesn’t go to waste.

If you are like me, it’s easy to cook too much pasta for a meal. I never can seem to get the amount needed just right. But before you throw out the extra pasta, check out these great uses for that leftover cooked pasta.

After these ideas, you’ll be making more pasta on purpose!

Can you Freeze Leftover Pasta?

Did you know that you can freeze pasta? This is an easy way to use leftover pasta. Just freeze it! Learn how to freeze pasta and check how easy it is to do with just a little bit of olive oil.

Freezing pasta is a great way to save time and money for future meals. I love freezing pasta once it has cooled to room temperature so that I will always have some on hand for a quick side dish or my favorite casserole meals.

Leftover Pasta Recipes

I love turning leftover pasta into another meal or side dish for my family. Check out some of my favorite recipes to use with leftover pasta.

1. Parmesan Pasta

Parmesan pasta is one of my favorite side dishes and we make it all the time with leftover spaghetti. With leftover noodles, this easy side dish recipe can be made in under 3 minutes. All you have to do is season with salt and pepper to taste and it’s ready to serve.

Feel free to use different type of pasta.

2. Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked Mac and Cheese is easy to make with leftover pasta. This easy Baked mac and cheese recipe is so creamy and cheesy. Plus using leftover pasta makes this recipe come together even quicker because no boiling water is needed. You can even add in leftover ham or chopped broccoli.

3. Pasta Frittata

You can also make an easy pasta frittata recipe that you can serve for breakfast or lunch. This leftover pasta frittata can be made in no time at all and is delicious too.

Turn leftover pasta into a pasta salad

Leftover pasta is great to use in a delicious pasta salad recipe. Here are a few of our favorite recipes that we love to make when we have leftover pasta in the house.

1. Greek Pasta Salad

This Greek Pasta Salad is so easy and frugal to prepare. Tons of veggies and pasta with the best flavor tossed together in a large bowl make this pasta salad recipe a family favorite.Loaded with fresh vegetables and mozzarella.

2. BLT Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad is always a crowd-pleaser. There is something about that creamy ranch dressing combined with the bacon and veggies that makes this delicious. Add in chopped onion for added flavor.

3. Classic Italian Pasta Salad

Classic Italian Pasta Salad loaded with olives, tomatoes, cheese and more! Easy Italian pasta salad has the best flavor and will be a hit with the entire family. This classic pasta salad is made with pantry ingredients.

4. Tuna Pasta Salad

Easy Tuna Pasta Salad is a toss-and-go recipe full of protein, veggies, and more. You will love the creamy pasta and delicious tuna for a quick meal.

5. Pasta Salad

This easy pasta salad recipe is the most simple pasta salad recipe ever and it feeds a crowd. The best pasta salad recipe is so easy and a family favorite in my house.

6. Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

If you love ranch, you’ll love this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad! No need to buy store-bought mixes when it is so easy to make this bacon ranch pasta salad recipe. This is delicious with tons of ranch, bacon, and more.

Add it to a casserole!

Casseroles are fun to make but they take longer to make when you have to boil pasta for the dish. Now, plan ahead and make extra pasta and plan for that casserole. Here are a few of our favorite casserole dishes that we love to make with leftover pasta. With these recipes, all you have to do is bake at 350 degrees F and dinner is done. Waiting to preheat the oven to 350 is the hardest part!

1. Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken Noodle Casserole is easy and the best comfort food dish. Creamy chicken and noodles with cheese make this a casserole everyone will go crazy over.

2. Pizza Pasta Casserole

Pizza Pasta Casserole is a family pleaser! An Easy casserole recipe that my family requests all the time. If you love pizza, you will love this easy pizza pasta casserole. Nothing is better than pizza mixed in with pasta with tomato sauce or marinara sauce.

3. Tuna Casserole

This easy tuna casserole recipe does not disappoint. It is so creamy and the topping with Italian-style bread crumbs is crunchy and delicious.

4. Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million dollar spaghetti recipehas so much delicious cheese, ground Italian sausage, and tons of flavor for the best meal. This savory meal comes together in minutes but is special enough for company. This recipe is similar to a spaghetti pie and we have even served with a side of meatballs.

5. Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

This casserole is a family favorite. We have even made it with penne pasta for a delicious casserole recipe.

Stir leftover pasta into a soup.

Leftover pasta is also great to stir into one of your favorite soups. Here are some of our favorite soup recipes that are great with leftover pasta mixed in!

1. Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup Recipecomes together for a flavor-packed meal with very little effort and is perfect for any type of leftover pasta. Make this soup to satisfy your craving for a warm bowl of delicious soup and let the crockpot do all the work.

2. Steak Soup

This Steak Soup Recipeis the perfect soup to leave everyone satisfied. This soup is hearty and delicious and sure to be a hit.

3. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Enjoythis Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipein just 20 minutes any day of the week thanks to this easy recipe. If you are craving soup and need a super fast and delicious recipe. This soup mixture comes together easily with simple steps.

4. Pasta Fagioli Soup

Pasta fagioli soup recipeis so filling and delicious. This copycat pasta fagioli soup comes together quickly and makes an easy meal any night of the week. It’s a great way to stretch your meat budget too!

5. Crock Pot Italian Chicken Soup

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Soup Recipeis hearty, filling, and healthy. This meal is sure to be a hit with the entire family.

Use it in a crock pot meal.

We love crockpot dinners, but when you need to boil pasta to complete the meal, it ruins the “quickness” of having dinner ready when you get home.

We use the leftover pasta from previous dinners and serve it with our crockpot meals. Check out some of our favorite crock pot recipes that you can use with your leftover pasta.

1. Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe is easy to make and packed with the traditional flavors of chicken parmesan made in a hot pan. Everything you need for a delicious dinner including tender chicken and flavorful pasta sauce is in the slow cooker!

2. Crock Pot Chiken Fajita Pasta

Crock pot chicken fajita pasta recipeis a one-pot meal that has everything you need for a delicious dinner. If you love fajitas, this creamy pasta will be a hit and the slow cooker does all of the work!

3. Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Enjoy creamy and deliciousCrock pot olive garden chicken alfredo sauce pastaat home and save a ton of money. Let the slow cooker do all the work and serve your family a delicious pasta meal.

4. Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatoresounds fancy but it is so simple to make in the slow cooker. If you are looking for a one-pot meal that has the best chicken, mushroom, and tomato sauce, this recipe is a must-try.

5. Crock Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta

Crock Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipeis creamy and delicious with a little bit of heat. The Cajun flavor really jazzes up this chicken dish for an easy meal that your family will love. Served topped with parmesan cheese.

6. Crock Pot Chicken Chow Mein

Our family loves Chinese takeout but now we can makeCrock Pot Chicken Chow Mein Recipeat home and save time and money. This recipe tastes amazing and has the perfect blend of flavors with soy sauce. If you love stir fry and fried noodles, you are going to love this easy chow mein recipe!

No matter what you do, it is easy to find ways to use leftover pasta without your family knowing that you are eating leftovers.

More great Leftover Ideas

• 10 Ways to Use Left Over Grilled Chicken
• 6 Clever Ways to use Leftover Hamburger Buns
• 10 Ways to use Leftover Baked Potatoes
• Ways to use Leftover Rice
• How to use leftover Corn