A Quick Side Dish Out Of Leftover Spaghetti

A Quick Side Dish Out Of Leftover Spaghetti

With all the comings and goings last weekend, my kitchen saw a lot of action as my neighbors dealt with the aftermath of the flood. They were all exhausted but in remarkably good spirits. 

My street is lined with all of my neighbors’ worldly possessions. Scrap scavengers descended in droves and picked through the piles. Several were chased away by the police. One neighbor found one scavenger picking through another house’s back yard. She put an immediate stop to that (in her gentle, reserved manner). I guess you could say that she gave him ‘a what-for’ and I doubt that he’ll be back. She has a way about her that doesn't invite argument.

On Sunday, one neighbor from the next block grilled a huge batch of chicken and we had that available as people stopped in for a bite. I made a little side dish - to order - for anyone who wanted it. This is what I did.

2 tbs. of butter

1 clove of garlic, smashed

Leftover spaghetti, 1 or 2 handfuls

White pepper

Parmesan cheese for grating

Preparation

I did this one serving at a time. This is the procedure for each serving.

Heat a large skillet and melt the butter. Add the smashed clove of garlic and gently cook that until it starts to brown. Remove and discard the garlic. 

Add the spaghetti to the skillet and sprinkle it with some white pepper. Toss the spaghetti in the hot butter until it is all hot and well coated to the butter. Slide the spaghetti out on to a plate and grate a bunch of parmesan over the pasta. Repeat for each person requesting it.

Serving

This can go with almost anything. Most people had a big grilled chicken breast with it, along with sliced fresh peppers, celery, cauliflower, carrots and snap peas. They also had fruit salad and some ham and cheese bread. The wine of choice was Chardonnay.