How To Turn Your Leftover Pasta Into Cheesy, Flavorful Fritters

There's something very attractive, and of course, delicious, about a hot, crispy fritter. And luckily, you don't have to wait until fair food season to get your hands on one. In fact, all you'll need to make a batch at home, adorned with your favorite type of cheese and seasoning, are a few simple ingredients like eggs, breadcrumbs, and an unlikely addition: leftover pasta. 

Not only is this a convenient way to make an appetizer out of last night's dinner, but you can also use nearly any kind of cooked pasta that you have stocked up. The key is to use pasta that's already covered with sauce, as it will offer more flavor and help the noodles bind together with the eggs. Stir the chopped pasta with your eggs, breadcrumbs, and if you'd like, grated cheese. You may have to play with the ratio of panko breadcrumbs so that your patties stick together, but in general, expect to use about two eggs for every 3 cups of pasta.

It's best to shallow fry your leftover pasta fritters in a pan rather than to cook them in a deep-fryer. They are more fragile than traditional dough fritters because they are made out of pasta, after all. You'll also want to use al dente pasta straight from the fridge. It's drier than fresh pasta since the sauce has had a chance to soak into the noodles and is more likely to stick together after it's shaped into a fritter. 

There are tons of different pasta shapes and sauces that you can use for this recipe. Spaghetti is a great place to start. It doesn't have much volume to it, and there is a solid balance of carby noodles to tomato sauce. You can also try your hand at kid-friendly mac and cheese fritters. Mix your leftover Kraft or homemade macaroni and cheese with some egg and flour to help bind it together. Or, if you love all things cacio e pepe, coat your pasta in the sauce (with a ton of grated cheese) and serve it with a peppery aioli dipping sauce. 

Regardless of your sauce or cheese pairing, be sure to hit your fritters with extra salt after they come out of the oil. No one likes an under-salted french fry, and a salty cheese (like Parmesan) may not make a dent in this dense, fried wonder. You could also opt for a salty sauce to serve them with, but we'd recommend an extra sprinkle of salt anyway.