Leftover casserole with pasta

November 7, 3:02 PMSF Easy Meals ExaminerMiriam Kasdan

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Depending on what you use for your casserole, it could look like this.

Okay, so you’ve made a huge dinner, and after serving everyone, you still have some left over for another night. What to do, what to do? Well, my cousin Suzanne has a solution for you that uses the leftovers in a pasta casserole. Curious? Read on.

Start with the base of cooked pasta – it could be spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine.

Here’s how to make the sauce:
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces (they’ll be chopped)
• 2 cups sour cream or yogurt (you can use low-fat or fat-free)
• 9 Tbs. (or less) melted butter
• Up to 7 Tbs. lemon juice (fish can take more)
• Coarse salt, sea salt, or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Onion slivers, parsley, etc. for garnish

Filling:
• 4 cups leftovers (meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables) chopped into bite-sized pieces

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Blend sauce in food processor, blender, or by hand.
• Use a three-to-four-quart shallow casserole (a rectangular Pyrex one works well).
• Warm it up by filling it with hot water for a minute or so, then dry it and grease it with a bit of the butter.
• Spread about 2/3 of the pasta in the bottom, lifting and loosening it so it's not packed down.
• Spread the filling over the pasta. Vegetarians could spread spinach, for example, over the pasta and cover it with the rest of the pasta.
• Pour the sauce over the top. Use a wooden fork to lightly lift and shake the pasta to let the sauce dribble down.
• Bake the casserole uncovered in the center of the oven long enough to get it piping hot, usually no longer than 20 minutes. Garnish as you like, and enjoy.