After the insanity of losing my wallet on Thursday night (ordering new credit cards, getting a new license, etc), a chill Saturday night was just what the doctor ordered. Â Dad opened a great malbec. Â The Godfather, Part II was on TV. Â And I had the worst hankering for pasta.
After scrounging through the kitchen, I uncovered a package of capellini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Â Lemon pasta it was. Â I decided to boil the entire package of pasta and make a torta with the leftovers Sunday morning.
Torta di pasta is a dish my friend Kirstin introduced me to when we lived in North Carolina. She learned how to prepare the dish during her study abroad in Italy, and this dish is my absolute favorite way to use up leftover pasta. Â It is ideal for brunch or for a potluck, is easy to make, and is delicious. Â I did a variation of Giada de Laurentiis’ dish below, using no cheese and seasoning with extra lemon juice and a couple pinches of chili powder. Â Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, peper, chili powder, and lemon juice to taste (I prefer mine very citrusy)
Directions:
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Â Set aside to cool completely otherwise the hot pasta could curdle the eggs when you add them later on.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper to blend. Add the cooled spaghetti mixture; toss to coat.
Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter and oil in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool in the skillet to room temperature.
Invert the torta onto a platter. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!
