Anti-waste recipes with leftovers
Anti-waste, or recovery recipes, are those that transform so-called leftovers into delicious dishes. Pasta is a food that lends itself perfectly to this kind of creation, combining enjoyment – with flavors that are just as good – with practicality. According to the latest data from the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, 60% of food waste occurs at home, with each person, on average, being “responsible” for wasting 79 kg of food per year. This equals one billion meals. In Italy, this figure rises to 107 kg per person annually.
Gnocchi with sausage
While we are talking about pasta, the first recipe we propose actually uses leftover polenta, transforming it into gnocchi to serve with sausage. In a stand mixer, combine 750 g of polenta with 190 g of flour, 100 g of grated cheese, 2 eggs, and 3 yolks. The mixture should be thick and then transferred to a piping bag, from which you can cut the gnocchi. Boil the gnocchi for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 250 g of sausage, adding the drained gnocchi. The dish can be served with a generous grating of smoked ricotta.
Baked pasta with turnip tops
The second recipe involves preparing baked pasta (leftover) with turnip tops. Start by peeling 300 g of Jerusalem artichokes, cutting them into pieces, and boiling them for 20 minutes. Clean and briefly boil 850 g of turnip tops for just 1 minute in salted water. Then, sauté the turnip tops in a pan with oil and chili. Follow the same procedure for 1 sliced onion. Mix the leftover pasta (preferably short, such as rigatoni) with the turnip tops, Jerusalem artichokes, onion, and pecorino cheese. Transfer the mixture to a baking tin and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes, until golden and crispy on top.
Chef Bottura’s “pasta pie”
Last but not least, the recipe for the “pasta pie”: a reinterpretation of the classic Italian pasticcio from chef Massimo Bottura’s creations. Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare the béchamel sauce by melting 10 g of butter with flour in a pan, gradually adding 100 ml of milk. Season the béchamel with salt, nutmeg, and grated Parmesan cheese. For the filling, combine the leftover pasta with any leftover meat and vegetables. Line a greased baking tin with shortcrust pastry and pour in the mixture, covering it with another layer of pastry. Brush with beaten egg and prick the pie with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, slice, and serve the “pasta pie.”
