Cooking with holiday leftovers: zero-waste Italian recipes

The holiday season is over, and your fridge is still full of dishes from the festive feast? Don’t worry, and don’t feel pressured to finish everything in a hurry. Food doesn’t get wasted: it gets transformed into new delights! With a pinch of creativity and a bit of willingness to experiment, you can breathe new life into your "holiday leftovers." Here are some suggestions: five simple, delicious recipes perfect for reinventing your leftovers.

1. Pasta Frittata: The Classic Leftover Dish
If you have leftover pasta from the feast, a pasta frittata is a must in Italian cuisine. It’s an unmissable treat! Simply add eggs, a pinch of salt, and whatever leftovers you have, such as cured meats or cheeses, to the pasta to make it even more flavorful.
Tip: Try adding Felino salami and smoked scamorza for an irresistible taste.

2. Canederli: Bread Dumplings from Trentino
Stale bread is the main ingredient for Canederli, a traditional recipe from Trentino-Alto Adige. To create these large bread dumplings, mix the bread with cheese, eggs, milk, and spices. Then shape them into balls and cook them in hot broth.
Serve your Canederli with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano to make them even tastier!

3. Meatball Magic: Gourmet Recovery
Got leftover boiled meat? Don’t throw it away! Chop it up and turn it into delicious meatballs by mixing it with eggs, stale bread, parsley, and cheese. Once ready, fry them or bake them in the oven, then serve with a rich tomato sauce. This way, you’ve saved yourself another dinner!

4. Sweet Recycling: Panettone French Toast
Leftover panettone can become the base for a surprising dessert. Slice it, dip it in a mixture of milk and eggs, and cook it in a pan with a knob of butter. Finish the dish with a dusting of powdered sugar and a few drops of chocolate for an extra touch. Et voilà!

5. Creative Salad with Leftover Meat and Cheese
Not sure what to do with leftover meat or cheese? Use them to prepare a tasty, nutritious salad. Mix lettuce, arugula, shelled walnuts, and your leftovers for a light yet flavorful meal.

With these recipes, you’ll turn your holiday leftovers into dishes that will make the whole family’s mouths water. On Vico Food Box, you can find all the ingredients to bring the taste of home to your table. Enjoy your meal!