How Stanley Tucci Transformed Leftover Pasta For Breakfast

You wouldn't be human if you didn't accidentally make more pasta than you actually needed. It's not hard to do. Just like with rice and beans, sometimes it's tough to eyeball how much you need when an ingredient is dry and hasn't yet expanded, as it does during the cooking process. With that said, is there anything more fun than taking a leftover ingredient and giving it a second life by turning it into something new?

Leftover lasagna sheets can be cut into bite-sized pieces for a rustic pasta dish; Leftover penne or ditalini can create a light pasta salad; And if you're super creative, you might find a way to turn pasta into breakfast. Any excuse to eat pasta is a good one, but pasta for breakfast sounds as delightful and indulgent as having leftover cake or pie with your morning coffee. 

In one of the most innovative leftover-pasta-turned-breakfast pivots we've ever seen, Stanley Tucci created a decadent and delicious pasta-based breakfast casserole you can emulate with a few simple pantry ingredients.

In a video posted to TikTok, food lover and our favorite searcher of Italy, Stanley Tucci, turned his leftover farfalle into an innovative breakfast casserole. There's nothing more satisfying than clearing out your fridge or pantry to create an inspired dish and that's what Tucci seems to have done. 

In the video, he shares that he sautéed garlic, onion, pancetta, and some peas before adding his leftover pasta, a fresh bechamel, some parmesan cheese, and a bit of butter. The entire mixture went into a small casserole dish and was baked to perfection. 

Based on the ingredients and the way he prepared them, it sounds almost like an Italian-inspired twist on mac and cheese. However, Tucci explains that while it could be a lunch or dinner item, he was eager to jump in and have it for breakfast. Top that with a poached egg and it sounds like heaven.