I love leftovers. Really, I do. While many meals are at their best the moment they leave the saute, some dishes are just better the second day. Flavors have had a chance to settle in and get to know each other... the overnight marinade in the fridge can do wonders for depth.
Last week, Mia Bambina and I made some pesto. It is summer after all, and if you have read my previous 'summer related' post, you know nothing spells summer to me like the smell of fresh basil. So last Tuesday, we made a double batch of pesto- just basic stuff, the way I like it: garlic, oil, basil, cheese, garlic, and cheese. I used some of it to dress a pound and a half of spaghetti (al dente... niiiice... ) and made a dish with a nice salad. I almost always make a double batch... pesto is so versatile, I use it in alot of things. This particular batch was to be part of some pizza I planned to make on Friday night. However, due to some longer than expected working hours and the excessively high local temperature, I decided not to heat up the oven (and house) to 450deg. I ate some cold beet salad (see my previous post), had a cocktail, and watched some Olympic updates.
Fast forward to Sunday morning... home from Mass and hungry... coffee to start (American variety... over ice) and then a few minutes looking at the fridge. What to do... what to do. Then... inspiration hit. I had some spaghetti al pesto left over from a few nights back. Now, I know what you're thinking... 5 days... but A)I hate throwing food out- Gramma Connie always said it is a sin to waste food and B) the macaroni was already coated and preserved by the oil in the pesto, so it was probably going to be fine... probably. So I took out the spaghetti, the bowl of pesto, and the container of eggs. A little history: ever since I was a little Guinea, small enough to duck under the turnstiles on the 5 train at 161st St (Yankee Stadium of course), my Gramps has been making frittata with leftover spaghetti. I do too, actually. Aglio olio leftovers with some scrambled eggs is one of my favorites- all that flavor and such a great texture.
I started out thinking I was going to go that route again. And then I thought about turning the oven on again, waiting for it to heat up, waiting for it to cook... no... non mi piace questa idea. It was already warming up outside and, besides, with what was left in the bowl, I would need at least six eggs to make it work. This is where the inspiration came in... adapt to your environment and change things up a little... Big smile on my face as I started formulating the plan in my capatosta... a little water in the pan and over the big burner to boil it fast. Boiling? Ok- macaroni in, a big spoon of pesto on top and, as the macaroni starts to heat up, I began tossing to mix it in. Now... here comes the Johnny Tomatoes adaptation: I cracked an egg and carefully laid it on top of the spaghetti. I dropped the heat down a little lower and covered it. Then I walked away for a few minutes...
I pulled the cover and looked... it seemed like what I had in mind... I was just hoping I hadn't cooked the egg too long. Only one way to find out I guess. I gave the pan a shake and slid the nest of spaghetti out onto a plate, the poached egg sitting gently on the top of the pile. I hit the whole thing with a snowstorm of Pecorino Romano and contemplated what was in front of me. I was really hoping the yolk was still soft... not that it would be ruined, I mean a good dish of macaroni is what it is...
I cut into the egg and was rewarded with a golden yolk flowing into the macaroni. It looked great... I had a tough time wiping the smile from my face. I didn't make it over to sit down... I leaned back against the counter and started eating. I really started to feel giddy... almost giggling as I ate. It was that good. As I picked up forkfuls of pasta, the white was breaking up of its own accord. The yolk, already broken, had run down into the macaroni. When I had a taste of the yolk coating the spaghetti, the mellow flavor worked so well with the basil and garlic and cheese that was already there... the texture was great too, a rich and creamy facet to an already great dish. I have been looking for an opportunity to recreate... looks like pesto will be on the menu next week too!
I have actually been turning this over in my head, trying to figure out what gave me the idea. I think it may have been Uove in Pergatorio... I will have to cook that up again and tell you all about it. This was a great one though. Can't wait till I get some more leftovers to have it again. The flavors, the texture... you should definitely try this one. 'Cause Johnny Tomatoes says so!
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