Here's What To Do With Your Leftover Pasta Sauce

Old Sauce, New Dish

It's always hard to use up the pasta sauce at the same as you cook all the pasta, isn't it? If you, like the rest of us, have ever found yourself with a ton of extra tomato sauce on hand, there's still hope for reusing it.

There's a whole lot you can do with pasta sauce besides dumping it on some pasta. Need some inspiration? Check out these 10 recipes perfect for using up that spaghetti sauce in the back of your fridge.

Peel-n-eat shrimp, kaffir lime leaf, dried shrimp salt, cocktail sauce by T.Tseng (CC BY)

1. Cocktail Sauce

This is an easy one. No recipe necessary, really; just hit your leftover sauce with a little bit of ketchup and horseradish. It'll probably taste better than anything you could get at Red Lobster, at least.

dan tana's chicken parm — Nicole V. / Yelp

2. Chicken Parmigiana

There's nothing like a crispy, saucy, cheesy piece of chicken parm. The key for this magical dish is to butterfly your chicken and pound it as flat as possible before frying. You'll also want to toss it in the broiler at the end too, to get that mozzarella nice and melty.

Recipe: Vice

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables — olgna/istockphoto

3. Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is already tomato-based, so this should work well. This is a killer of a soup in any season; just grab whatever veggies are seasonal and fresh. Or better yet, clear your fridge and use up any veggies on the edge of freshness.

Recipe: Tasty

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rustic american italian meatball sandwich — zkruger/istockphoto

4. Meatball Sandwich

You can use pre-cooked meatballs, frozen meatballs, or if you've got time, you can even make your own meatballs. When the cheese and sauce cover them just right, you've got one of the best sandwiches in the world in your hands. Subway's got nothing on you.

Recipe: Midwest Foodie

Shakshuka in pan on kitchen counter. — Anastasia Dobrusina/istockphoto

5. Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a breeze. Make room for your eggs in a skillet full of sauce and let 'em cook. Crusty bread and crumbly feta cheese are mandatory for this one.

Recipe: Street Smart Nutrition

Stuffed bell peppers — ALEAIMAGE/istockphoto

6. Stuffed Peppers

A classic! There's so much room for customization in stuffed peppers, and if you've got a good tomato sauce you can't go wrong. Italian sausage only increases the power.

Recipe: Always From Scratch

english muffin pizzas by JaBB (CC BY-NC-ND)

7. English Muffin Pizza

Guess what? These still taste as good today as they did when you were eight years old. You don't even need pepperoni. Sauce and cheese is time-tested, unbeatable combo.

Recipe: A Mind “Full” Mom

8. African Peanut Stew

Hearty and delicious, African peanut stew is perfect for a crockpot or pot on the stove. Tomato sauce, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter are the heart and soul of this comforting classic. You might find yourself addicted to this one.

Recipe: Cotter Crunch

Fresh baked tomato glazed meatloaf served with mashed potato — 4kodiak/istockphoto

9. Meatloaf

Skip the ketchup and tag in some pasta sauce for a tasty, Italian-leaning meatloaf. And while you're at it, you might as well melt some cheese over the top, you know?

Recipe: Meatloaf and Melodrama

Vegetable ratatouille baked in cast iron frying pan traditional homemade — GreenArtPhotography/istockphoto

10. Ratatouille

If you've never had the dish that Pixar made famous, you're missing out. Thinly sliced root veggies and tomato sauce are the base of this veggie specialty. If you have a kitchen mandoline that you've been itching to use, this is your chance.

Recipe: Chef de Home