Sunday family dinners in the summer mean fresh foods from the Market and hopefully, leftovers for weeknight suppers. This past Sunday I was lucky enough to have leftover grilled chicken, sauteed eggplant, roasted peppers, and tomato caprese. I’ll turn them into three different pasta dishes for me and my husband this week. (Most pasta sauces work well with rice, quinoa, farro, or barley too.)

Creamy Vegetarian Pasta Sauce

recipe from All Recipes

Leftover roasted peppers (also zucchini and mushrooms if you have them) with other ingredients added, make this veggie-filled dish a winner. Add a salad and a glass of wine and you have a great Meatless Monday meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (12 ounce) package pasta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 6 ounces chopped spinach
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 7 ounces sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Cook and stir until vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, sour cream, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Drain penne and mix into the sauce. Stir in parsley and basil. Makes 4 servings.

Mediterranean Eggplant Pasta Sauce

recipe from Everyday Eileen

Sauteed eggplant is one of our favorite Sunday side dishes. Chop up the leftovers and make this amazing pasta sauce that is also one of our faves. I like to use baby or long thin eggplants so I can skip the peeling and salting steps. Just slice and saute!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (basil, oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Note 3
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half (optional)
  • 1 Tablespoon capers (optional)
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley to garnish
  • Parmesan Cheese to garnish
  • 1 pound pasta

Directions:

  1. Season the eggplant with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Lay the eggplant on a paper towel or in a colander to sweat. (Brings out any bitterness in the eggplant). About 30 minutes. Gently rinse off and dry eggplant.
  2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute eggplant, onion, and red pepper for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute another few seconds to blend the flavors. Stir in the white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Cook another few minutes to reduce wine and blend flavors.
  3. Stir in the diced tomatoes (break those tomatoes up with your hands), tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover pan with a lid and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in Kalamata olives and capers. Check the seasoning, re-season if needed.  Garnish with Parmesan and parsley, if using.
  5. While the sauce is cooking, make your pasta or zoodles, serve and enjoy!

Tomato Basil Pasta with Grilled Chicken

recipe from me, Jinny

This one is my own concoction based on a meal I had at Bonefish Grill years ago. It is a great way to use leftover grilled chicken breast by adding fresh tomatoes and basil for a bright tasty summer supper. Don’t skimp on the garlic – it’s what makes this dish sing!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups uncooked pasta
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or more to taste)
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
  • 2 cups grilled chicken breast cubed
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Boil water and cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and grape tomatoes in olive oil. Add the white wine and cook a couple of minutes to lose the alcohol and keep the flavor.
  3. Add flour and stir to coat everything. Stir in chicken broth and cook until sauce begins to thicken slightly.
  4. Add cubed chicken and chopped basil and cook until chicken is heated through. Then turn off the heat and stir in cream and parmesan cheese.
  5. Stir cooked pasta into the sauce and let it soak up the flavor for a few minutes before serving.
  6. Garnish with more parmesan and chopped basil if desired. Makes 4 servings.

For more great ideas for using leftovers, check our recipe archive!

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