Day-Old Pasta Makes a Great Stir-Fry | Kenji's Cooking Show

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[@Raendomyzed]

I really love Kenji doing an experiment rather than an established recipe. Watching someone so knowledgeable freestyle really makes for a wonderful viewing experience

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Virtually all my videos are freestyle as I rarely follow an exact written recipe, even my own.

[@ladbom]

Kenji what is your favorite carbon steel wok that we can buy right now?@@JKenjiLopezAlt

[@markgebo197]

When Kenji goes, “oh boy.” You know it’s a winner!

[@adamsantamaria9103]

I love that Kenji teaches techniques rather than just focusing on recipes. This is such a cool idea!

[@Etakit]

Exactly! You learn the recipe fundamentals by watching the techniques, and then can play and eat hella delicious food all the time!

[@maxxam4665]

I am italian so we basically have pasta everyday at lunch, but we have our leftovers. I remember when my mom stir fried the pasta al pomodoro from midday. It was something else.

[@Euodia746]

The pasta al forno from nonna it’s always best refried on Monday.

[@Jodabomb24]

Yeah in my family my dad would always pan fry leftover tomato pasta haha it gets so nice and sort of toasted

[@sharalli3112]

My mother in law used to do refried spaghetti. It’s pretty spectacular.

[@lynnstlaurent6789]

We always called it French pasta growing up because only French people we knew did this, including us. My Italian friends thought we were crazy.

[@officemaxo12]

RE: Paseo/Un Bien The actual story is the original Paseo was in financial trouble in 2014 and closed for about a year before the original owner opened under the name Un Bien... then Paseo re-opened soon after under new ownership. They are comparable sandwiches but the OGs know Un Bien has the OG flavors. The restaurant story that you're thinking of where there was marital beef is Ezell's Fried Chicken, where the wife and husband split and the husband took the recipe and now has Heaven Sent Chicken. Source: me, an old Seattlite who is happy you've made it your home

[@LogansBench]

An old Seattlite... so like Sputnik?

[@Jonpoo1]

I live in rural England why am i so invested in Seattle sandwich shop drama

[@bigolpotato]

One of the major differentiators of Un Bien vs Paseo is actually the onions, which are consistently better at Un Bien, in the way Kenji is talking about in this video.

[@Josh_Day]

Im actually moving to seattle in December. Sounds like Un Bien and Ezell's Fried Chicken are worth a stop

[@henry3435]

Bongos > un bien or paseo tho!

[@jobje325]

Kenji first going for more italian flavours and then topping with the chili oil and fried onions was a twist that I didn't see coming, I'm definitely gonna try it though.

[@check4v]

That's definitely a classic for a Kenji fan 😁 Kenji if you're reading this, been a reader/watcher for over 10 years now!

[@Jodabomb24]

It's pretty typical to have red chili flakes in this dish so using chili oil instead is not too far afield. Even the fried onions is not dissimilar to a crispy breadcrumb & parmesan topping that you might see on a drier pasta like this.

[@grabble7605]

@@Jodabomb24 "Even the fried onions is not dissimilar to a crispy breadcrumb & parmesan topping" Except for being a totally different thing with a different flavor...Oil and flakes are just a form difference for the chili but fried onion are entirely dissimilar to breadcrumbs and parmesan.

[@Jodabomb24]

@@grabble7605 I just meant that both things are things that you put on top to provide textural contrast. They are both fulfilling the same role in the dish even if the flavours are different. And that's the way that people who cook a lot think: "hmm, there's often something crunchy on top of this dish. I don't have crispy breadcrumbs around, what else do I have.....oh I have fried onions, that's crunchy, and onion flavour goes with everything, I bet that would work."

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Wouldn't be Kenji without some innovation.

[@endlesviewing]

These videos where Kenji tries something new and you see him combine techniques/ingredients are my favorite. I love goin in the kitchen and creating something as I go.

[@WastrelWay]

Maybe he got a little carried away at the end there, "let's add this... and this..." but he knew when to stop. Sometimes I don't.

[@jeremy242]

@WastrelWay This is how you perfect recipes, by experimenting and changing for the next time you make something. I like watching the thought process of Kenji trying new recipes like this.

[@buny4773]

I heard (from Chinese Cooking Demystified) that in Japan and China when they make spaghetti, or fusion food with spaghetti (eg: Japanese Napolitan spaghetti) they often do this with the pasta, boiling it the night before and setting aside because it softens and becomes more like the texture of Asian noodles. Only ever heard of this done with spaghetti though!

[@momusufan964]

Good luck to find other pasta types in Japan, that may be part of the explanation 😅.

[@xhax0r]

Love that you’re back to the distinctive “kenji go pro” camera angle ❤❤

[@emergmd]

This Italian Asian fusion idea is really inventive! Props to Molly

[@siscoismyhomey]

It's becoming more of a thing lately and I'm loving it. There's a deli I've grown up going to that has amazing sandwiches and the menu hadn't for 20 years. They are under new ownership now and one of the new additions to the menu is a sandwich with a killer italian/asian fusion. It's braised chuck roast with red wine vinegar onions, arugula, fontina cheese, some type of aioli, but the kicker is a Sichuan chili crisp Au Jus with scallions and it's just insane. The flavors rock so well with each other. I definitely want to try this same format with a pasta.

[@ramdynebix]

There used to be a quite large chain of restaurants in Western Europe called Vapiano (parts of it still exist) that basically was Italian/Asian stir fry fusion. With pizzas. And a funky way of ordering/paying/service. Kind of halfway fast-food.

[@Jodabomb24]

This isn't a new invention lmao my family has been frying leftover pasta for decades.

[@lizziemarie5590]

I absolutely love your videos…you do home cooking with a chef’s twist and really seem to be passionate about teaching.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

This kind of innovation is what keeps people like Kenji at the cutting edge of food. This is why you're the MVP. (Molly Baz, too, of course.)

[@EGOCOGITOSUM]

He is a good popularizer, cutting edge nope

[@jenniferbaker4434]

Can’t wait to try this! Thank you for the inspiration. Also, thanks for including Jamon at the end!

[@Minilinny]

Oh my, that looks so good, thanks for sharing

[@ryankwan1934]

You and Molly are probably the best people making food videos on KZbin. Just seriously chill people who love food.

[@sevensabrina]

Agree! I feel she's underrated, happy to see her get a shoutout

[@SkkyJuse]

My mother talks about going to her best Fried’s house in the 50s (the friend had a very large Italian family) and her mother would often serve fried leftover pasta in the morning. A dish that my mom adopted and adapted.

[@ltrigga219]

That looks fantastic. And Molly’s awesome, so good on her! I may check out that cook book, thanks for dropping the name.😁 I love second-day pasta ‘stir fry’ like this. Fantastic way to use up leftovers and avoid having like 4 oz of dried pasta sitting around in the pantry. The fall version with sweet potatoes and sage sounds great, too.

[@bwilllundgren]

What a good blending of technique. I'm sure this is better than it would be if you had made the whole dish the night before. Everything is more fresh and the texture would be much better. Thanks Kenji. Your experiments and overall content is always super helpful. I use your cookbooks all the time for inspiration.

[@rachel2journal]

Wow!! Sold on the idea! Thanks to Molly and to you!

[@bridgetkennedy9671]

This looks amazing. Seriously. I was rewatching and noticed your pantry is super cool too with those slide out drawers. Any advice for cool accessibility things like that and workflow suggestions? Your knife strip always seems well placed to me as well. Love a kitchen tour video!

[@Roundbrow]

Hoo boy this is exactly my type of blend. Looks so so good, will definitely be trying this.

[@MrChris20912]

One of my favorite dishes at out local Italian bistro! Made this version tonight and, wow! I was right back in that little family eatery. Thank you! I'll be making this one again!

[@matthewbelesiu3898]

Ok this is a great idea! Thank you for the inspiration!!

[@SamSam-qm1li]

Thank you for all the videos

[@wiltchamberlain9920]

Man, I have been frying pasta like this for decades. We would often have extra pasta that I would heat up in a frying pan the next day. Add a bit of sauce near the end and let that reduce a bit and caramelize. Yummy. Or, honestly, just pasta, butter, and garlic salt until it’s a bit crispy on the edges. Delicious.

[@jacquespoulemer3577]

Thank you Kenji (channelling Molly) A fascinating idea and totally new to me. Reminds me of Gyoza or Dim Sum Steamed in water with a bit of oil so it fries the bottoms, but using left over pasta which is quite clever. Love you and the videos. All the best Jim Mexico

[@kripposoft]

I love your videos. I'm pretty crap in the kitchen but you've inspired me to try some new stuff!

[@bltc627]

The other recipe you have with Orichette and broccoli I make ALL the time. I do meal prep with it probably once per month. So simple and tastes amazing. Going to give this one a try next!

[@darcyferrigno]

I love this concept. Always cooking a bit too much pasta but love a stir fry or leftover. Going to experiment with this style for sure.

[@jonahorlofsky5999]

Great recipe! I used butternut squash (par-boiled it first) plus Mexican chorizo for the sausage. I also added a stir-fried egg per Kenji's suggestion. A great combination of flavors.

[@jigyasugulati]

I loved every bit of the video today, watching Kenji create a new dish from scratch and complimenting flavours. I would add dash of fish sauce to create the perfect Frankenstein.

[@TinaShurtleff]

This technique really helps not having blood sugar spikes because the starch in the pasta becomes more resistant. This looks so yummy.

[@AMTunLimited]

This coming less than 24 hours after orrechiette video from American test kitchen yesterday is a wonderful thing

[@dtpugliese318]

I have started to stir fry my leftover pasta instead of reheating it with the microwave, it’s incredible especially with red sauces. You add olive oil and sauté the leftovers, sauce and all, and it makes the sauce even more concentrated in flavor while the pasta gets crispy on the edges. It’s delicious and it’s a completely different experience than the day you make it. I have to thank Pasta Grammar for that idea!

[@WastrelWay]

Wonderful. Pan-fried noodles is a staple at all Chinese restaurants and I've made it myself. But I've never seen it made with day-old orecchio before, and obviously this is the way to go! I suspect that this will be what is called a "new tradition".

[@ajoliver74]

That looks amazing!

[@jodiesattva]

You inspired me to try cooking gnocchi in the wok with brown butter (instant brown in a hot wok!). It works and is amazing.

[@araminrain]

It's also great to make sopita too! Usually you fry up the dry pasta shells until golden brown, then add your tomato paste, consommé and whatever else that's simple. But using day old pasta works just as well!

[@Tom-kl9jf]

reminds me of the fried Spätzle from a couple of your lockdown videos! different ingredients, but a similar "frying of pasta" principle

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Thank you for the video.

[@fiveoctaves]

One of my mom's great, simple dishes is taking cooked spaghetti and frying it in a pan with garlic and butter. The slight change in taste and texture elevates it to another level. I had never thought about how it might be unusual to some people to pan fry pasta. One could also compare it to crispy chow mein noodles which I also like very much.

[@jhammylive]

I feel like i say a lot of the same stuff at 2am lost in my kitchen 😂 Good vibes! Cooking from the heart is so fun 👏🏾

[@bionichippo]

This reminds me of Ethan Chlebowski's "Risotto Style Pasta", except he cooked the pasta in his wok instead of using leftovers. Gonna give this a shot next!

[@nzpork1]

Great concept, im going to experiment with this for sure. My 4 year old loves quality pasta and fresh broccoli so this is right up her street!

[@rhkean]

That's an awesome way to control the amount of oil going into the wok... I've never seen you do that before! Thank you

[@the_senate8050]

I never called it a stir fry, but day old pasta with eggs (and whatever happens to be in the fridge) is a classic.

[@mariamiller1208]

That's what we did with our leftover pasta. The next day for breakfast we had scrambled eggs mixed with pasta.

[@squirellbrain]

scrambled eggs?? this is genius!

[@engineerncook6138]

Add some parmesan. pepper and eggs to leftover spaghetti. Cook over medium-low heat, with butter or olive oil, in a cast iron skillet small enough for a 1 inch thick layer, and you have a spaghetti frittata. Flip to cook the top or put in a medium oven for 10 minutes. Add precooked bacon bits or cooked sausage for more protein and flavor.

[@katl8825]

@@mariamiller1208is this basically a frittata, but easier? I’m taking notes!

[@adamseidel9780]

Bubble and squeak a la noodles!

[@nkmwils]

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!!i've been making stirfry style dishes with pasta for the past year or so because it's just so much easier and cheaper than scouring for asian noodles and... it nice enough but THIS. this is gonna take it to a whole 'nother level oh my. love you kenji you're the best

[@Zephury]

honestly, barilla #13 or #5 pasta is great for chinese style stir-fry noodle dishes. if I can't get fresh noodles from an asian market that are great quality, 9/10 times, it comes out better than whatever other dried "asian" noodles I can find

[@starhawk101]

@@Zephury agree! Tired of trying to stock fresh noodles and having them go bad. Great texture with Italian spaghetti and less chance of them turning mushy

[@bonniekuhn1366]

Thanks for sharing some great refinements on my go-to one-dish meal. I like it in a nest of spinach or arugula. Whenever I cook pasta I reserve a cup or two for stir-fry or soup.

[@vital20]

Love to see this. Definitely trying soon! I have half a box of bowties thay needs to be eaten and i think this is the perfect technique for them. Was definitely cheering when hou added the chili oil. 🎉

[@kilroyyyyy90]

Day old pasta also is great with the garlic noodle recipe! I tried that a while back and I think it ends up turning out better than with freshly cooked noodles

[@RobGThai]

Kenji’s point of view camera is like a comfort food. The others are nice but there’s something familiar with this one.

[@erin.stitches]

My grandma always took leftover pasta and fried it in butter with a ton of black pepper. Parmesan on top. One of my favorite meals to this day.

[@MaximumPasta]

I love stir-frying leftover pasta. I would usually do some ground beef with green onion and parm/garlic. so good

[@gregoryallen5839]

So awesome to see Kenji “discover”, try something new, and then be blown away 🤯 by results. He didn’t exactly say it, but you could tell. We all can learn new techniques and I can wait to try it. Thanks bro. Love you!

[@ucsdn]

This is something I make all the time, though in a slightly different method using a cast iron skillet. Cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot peppers, paprika and herbs. Heavy on the salt and olive oil and let it crisp up nicely on the bottom (to the point where some of the garlic and onions caramelize) after stirring it a bit. Worth a go

[@stefankovacevic8311]

interesting you use tomatoes on a cast iron skillet - do you find it ruins your patina?

[@ucsdn]

@@stefankovacevic8311 I clean it right after using and so far no issues. Also there's plenty of oil used in this method so the pan is well protected

[@russellzauner]

pasta is literally the reason rice a roni has become legendary the pasta/rice combo works amazingly well and lightens the dish instead of making it heavier as I would have expected

[@mariamiller1208]

That's what we did with our leftover pasta. The next day for breakfast we used butter in the pan and had scrambled eggs mixed with pasta. That was a German tradition (I'm full blooded German). We not only ate this for breakfast but sometimes also for our main meal along with a salad.

[@AscendtionArc]

Thanks for this.

[@mikewardle7631]

I’m gonna do this for sure.

[@J-A-A-K]

There’s an Eastern European dish called haluski where cabbage is stir friend with noodles and caramelized onions. My mom made this dish, but let the noodles brown a little bit in the pan with the veggies and butter/oil. Super good!

[@arigorn75]

My wife's been doing this since she was a kid, and introduced me to it. Absolutely delicious for orecchiette, but penne and rigatoni work great to hold sauce/cheese/extras

[@kaotictouch345]

Day old pasta with chopped bacon combined with eggs. Always an easy weeknight favorite of mine growing up. Now ive now passed this memory to my kids who ask for it as well.

[@cupofcakee]

I love the idea of this with cabbage and bacon, that would be so comforting when it’s cold out. with a shake or two of chili flakes 🤌

[@MrFredstt]

Love when you experiment

[@miaththered]

Yeah, trying this.

[@starhawk101]

Stir-fry pasta is an old favorite for quick dinner when I forget to make rice. Usually do it Asian style with whatever meat and veg is in the fridge and oyster sauce. I'll have to try it with day old pasta. The butternut squash rendition at the end looks bomb

[@leoa1094]

Much respect for going back to this recording format. Thank you for your videos.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I don’t know what you’re referring to here but OK.

[@leoa1094]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt The highest rated comment on your video "The Easiest Roast Sweet Potatoes" is what I'm referring to. Thanks again for your videos.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I meant the "going back" part of your comment. I haven't "gone back" to anything. I always like to mess around and experiment with new formats, and this channel has always had and will continue to have a range of video format styles because I like to learn new things.

[@patricklinkous]

Oh damn, with that butternut sage stinger 👌

[@viper110110]

I did this once when I made too much bucatini. Didn't rinse/oil it before storage. Turned out excellent fried up with some veggies.

[@KIG024]

See the NYT for an article on cold pasta -and rice and potatoes. They are more healthful after they’ve been cooled and refrigerated because the starch changes into a type that is metabolized differently. This is such a timely recipe!

[@ianmcmanus955]

One of my go-to weeknight dishes is stir frying ravioli. I just get the premade ravioli and add it to the wok right away (no boiling) and toss it with broccoli and onions. Then I add a shit ton of black pepper and let it toast a bit in the oil before finishing with pecorino.

[@bitrotter]

Damn that looks good. Going to have to try this.

[@Griffin519x]

Looks delicious! I bet crispy fried chilis would be good on it too (added instead of or in addition to the crispy onions)

[@redbeard36]

Molly's new book is fantastic.

[@rhi91]

i always fry my leftover pasta, it makes it caramelised and i can add extra veggies! i saw an italian on youtube say that it's common to fry leftover pasta in italy

[@ssatva]

Due to disability, I've been cooking pasta just shy of where I want it, and doing the rinse and a bit of oil thing then cooking in various ways for *years*. Oddly, I've enjoyed it but rarely paid attention to the pasta itself, it was just a way to take a step out of cooking for when streamlining made things much easier... though I have stir-fried it and been overall impressed! I'm going to spend some time paying attention to the pasta now, see what results I'm getting by accident that might explain why it's been so nice.

[@OverlordMaggie]

Back in my studend days I started adding leftover rice to the eggs in an omelette to bulk them up. I was out of rice and had a hankering and tried using leftover pasta - not as good as rice in an omelette but fried pasta is still pretty good!

[@1TieDye1]

My mom would always make fried pasta with left overs. It was always great!

[@rhkean]

I love that you made an Italian dish with an Asian cooking style

[@gilojager7425]

beautiful!

[@TheCraftinator]

Quite an excellent idea. In my mind, day old pasta always was inferior but this opens up a lot of possibilities :)

[@springheeledjacques]

I love the use of a Chinese-style cornstarch slurry here. I was thinking, what would be a good substitute for soy sauce in this sort of recipe, where you're applying mostly classical Chinese cooking techniques but using mostly traditional Italian ingredients? Fish sauce! Specifically something like _garum_ or _liquamen_, the closest commercially available probably being _colatura di alici_, though Vietnamese fish sauce would work just fine. A dash of that could add a wonderful flavor to a dish like this.

[@Diana-pk3pe]

I Love fried pasta - been making it for years - I also like to put tortellini under the broiler and crisp it up that way.

[@thenawabgaming]

I always boil the entire 500g of pasta I get from a packet. Oil them slightly after they boil and throw in the leftover ones not being used that day in the refrigerator. Great to use them for making pasta and bean salad or stir-frying them in some aromatics and soy; on the fly over the next few days.

[@bigbyallsmay8992]

bro is cooking food 2 the sequel to food

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

we've been getting DLCs for so long, but the sequel is going to be so much bigger.

[@HasXXXInCrocs]

This is the kinda thing my nonna would scoff at but i would still serve it to her anyway just to listen to her say “is ok”, which is the best compliment she can give

[@saurabhshri]

Funny thing is, Indian Indo-Chinese street vendors have been stir frying past/macaroni since years, albeit more takeaway Chinese style.

[@jedb9677]

My Maltese Nana would make fried pasta left overs with some eggs for breakfast. She would fry the pasta and sauce up then mix with eggs in like a carbonara but without the cheese. If there wasn't enough to go around everyone would have toast as well but she would add cheese in the eggs phase. Sometimes she let it go a bit before the mixing the eggs in and the pasta was crispy.

[@The__Shaman]

i had leftover cooked pasta last week and i looked all over youtube for something like this!

[@The__Shaman]

couldnt find so i ended up making it fried garlic Pilipino style cuz i had good garlic laying around

[@U.s.e.r.3493]

If only my mother could see this video now....what she thought was a weird way to use leftover pasta is now a delicious new way to eat it hehe. Love it

[@alpercetiner949]

I love the texture of crisp and elasticity of a fried pasta. Just butter or olive oil and a bit of salt is enough for me to enjoy it.

[@Jay-df4fy]

My dad used to make a stir fry pasta like this with egg, corn, peas, sometimes ham/spam, and oyster sauce with a teaspoon of sugar to season. It'd be fried quite dry, so there's no sauce at the end. One of my favourite things to make for dinner!

[@Butterforyourrolls]

I cannot wait to do this. Getting pasta tonight to get it ready.

[@Butterforyourrolls]

I made it and HOLY COW. My children devoured it. My wife thinks this is her new favorite dish I make (my wife loves your cooking Kenji!!). This is a new staple in the kitchen, I cannot wait to play around with this recipe.

[@brentonwalters]

One thing that changed how I think about reheating wheat products is learning that the gluten becomes pliable again at a certain temperature (I forget what temp). I thought the texture of reheated pasta would depend on the moisture / hydration, but it seems that it's more to do with temperature.

[@JeffreyMcLain]

Oh Kenji.... Man this is delightful. I hate coming across your videos at night I always leave hungry lol. Any advice on using corn starch slurry? I do my best to use less and less each time I incorporate it, it always sends up way thicker than I intend. Cheers friends!

[@MichaelHughes124]

Nice idea @mollybaz !

[@dogoku]

In Greece/Cyprus, we do something similar but with orzo, since it's smaller and more similar in shape to rice

[@vector222]

Kenji must've been starving. Never seen him this enthusiastic about a dish

[@snerl69]

the definition of fusion

[@alessandroledda6480]

I'm italian and i sometimes make what i like to call "blasphemous spaghetti" -Spaghetti (i've tested them cooked al dente, medium cook, overcooked and cooked in alkaline water and i prefer them al dente) -Fresh garlic, ginger and chilies -Scrambled egg -Soy sauce Oprional chicken, shrimp or frozen peas

[@MrBaboulinet22]

Nice ! In a wok too ? Or a regular frying pan ?

[@alessandroledda6480]

@@MrBaboulinet22 When i first "developed" this recipe i was in a... particular houing situation and i had to use a non stick pan over a single induction stove. Spaghetti in the frying pan to boil, drain, rince the pan, aromatics, eggs, sauce Still worked decently. I still do not own a wok nor a chinese restaurant grade gas stove but if i could i would do it this way

[@alessandroledda6480]

@@MrBaboulinet22 Another great way to use leftover pasta is "Frittata allo scammaro". Day old pasta with garlic, anchovees, pine nuts, pepper, raisins and parsley fried in a hot skillet where it forms a nice crispy crust