My Italian Nonna's Fried Spaghetti Recipe Is Easy Comfort-Food Perfection

Call it what you want — macaroni, pasta, or noodles — but this comforting and versatile carb holds an esteemed place on the menu in many homes, including mine. There is one recipe, though, that shines above all others for its simplicity and ability to make good use of the leftovers from our Sunday dinners: Nonna's fried macaroni (or in this case, fried spaghetti). We call it "La Scorta" for scorched, which comes from the dialect my grandmother's family speaks in parts of Southern Italy. Although popular in Italian households, rarely will you find this recipe on the menu in a restaurant. Nonna's fried macaroni is our family's traditional comfort food that takes formerly silky, soft pasta and pan fries it to be light and crispy. We then dusts its ridges with high quality parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese, and the end result is one of the best things you'll ever eat.

The beauty of this dish is that it works best with leftovers and you can use any type of cooked pasta. It also doesn't matter the type of sauce, or what was mixed in with the pasta. Stray mushrooms and onions or bits of broccoli rabe are invited to join the party! Remnants of last night's meat sauce is welcome to cling to the macaroni, which ends up just contributing to a crispier, more flavorful final product. No fancy culinary skills are needed to make this either. If you can boil water and open a jar of sauce, you have the promise of a meal that goes beyond microwaving leftover soggy Sunday spaghetti.