Leftovers that get eaten

This is the time of the week where we start looking in the fridge and saying "what can I make of this mess?" Well, several years ago, a friend offered up a simple, but highly edible and flexible option - Worm Pie (the kids LOVE the name which comes from left over spaghetti noodles.)

Its simple because the ingredients are the left over pasta of any kind - with or without sauce - cheese, splash of milk, eggs and spices and are made in one pan. Its flexible because the spices can be hot (i.e., chili peppers), savory (i.e., dried Oregano and/or Basil) or unique (i.e., pesto [a favorite], mole.) And it is the one leftover dish we serve where we routinely hear "is there more?"

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Left over pasta

2 eggs

1 cup cheese - mozzarella or cheddar work best

Splash of milk

1 Tbsp dried Oregano and/or Basil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp capers (I would say these are optional, but they really add great flavor)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients into one big bowl. Mix well. Kids love to do this part, especially the eggs and the garlic press.

2) Heat a dinner plate-sized large skillet (preferably non-stick, but cast iron could work) over high heat for 4-5 minutes. When hot add half the olive oil then the mixture to the pan, turn heat to medium high and cover the pan.

3) Let cook until the bottom of the pie is browned (5-7 minutes). Scrape the bottom of the pie off the pan, but don't flip it. Instead, take a large dinner plate and cover the skillet. Flip the pie onto the plate, add the remaining olive oil to the pan and slide the uncooked side of the pie into the skillet.

4) Cook another 7 minutes. In the meantime, you can heat up pasta sauce as an optional topping.

5) Cut, serve, enjoy, plan for the next leftover pasta...