Pasta with Leftover Roast Pork
You'll find several ideas for pasta dishes made with leftover roast meat on this site. I must have made hundreds of variations over the years, but no two are exactly the same — because they're made with what I have on hand.
This is one of the ideas in the cooking and leftovers chapter in my book The Incidental Diet. You can use this idea any way you like and with whatever you have on hand. The possibilities are endless!
This one starts with leftover roast pork.
Ingredients
Leftover roast pork and the pan jus if your roast produced some — it’s a delicious ingredient!
- Leftover roast pork
- Pasta of your choice
Optional additions:
- Onion or shallot
- Garlic
- A splash of cream
- A drizzle of white wine
- Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary)
- Dried herbs de Provence
- Any other little leftovers you like — like carrots or peas.
Instructions
Warm the leftover meat (and the pan jus if you have some) and toss with cooked pasta. That's it!
The jus is like stock or bone broth — rich in flavor and collagen. Since the meat is already seasoned, you don't need to add much else to make a fabulous pasta dish. But if you'd like to add more layers of flavor or if the meat is a bit dried out, here are some more ideas.
- Warm a bit of olive oil in a pan and then add the pork. The olive oil brings back some mositiure and add falvor.
- Add some minced onion or shallot to the olive oil and sauté until soft (or browned, if desired).
- If desired, mince a clove (or more) of garlic, add it, and cook for a minute or two.
- Stir in the pan jus.
- If the meat is a little dry (or even if not), add a splash of white wine or cream to rehydrate the meat, and it will also make a creamy sauce.
- Finish with fresh herbs — like parsley, thyme, or rosemary — or dried herbes de Provence.
- Note: If you are adding fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, you can add them any time to open up the flavor.
In just the time it takes to cook the pasta, you'll have a mouthwatering meal.
I always save little bits of leftovers for such dishes. Even just a bit of cooked carrots adds the finishing touch!
- Leftover pork with pasta and thyme
Leftover pork with pasta and parsley
Leftover pork and carrots with pasta
Notes
When you roast a different meat each week and vary how you season it, you can create a new leftovers pasta dish each week, and never get bored with this recipe idea.
And when you don't have many leftovers, serve a primi piatti, like the Italians do — this small plate of pasta before the main dish makes an easy and delicious course!
Find it online: https://returntothetable.com/pasta-with-leftover-roast-pork/