Spaghetti Lefterini—My New Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

You probably make your own version of this pasta dish, which is not so subtly named after its main ingredient: leftovers.  My husband came up with ‘Lefterini’ after I told him I was thinking of combining some leftover Spaghetti and Clam Sauce with slices of a spicy chicken sausage I had in the freezer.

Why not?  The Spanish rice dish Paella combines clams, mussels and shrimp with sausages and chicken.
  I wouldn’t be surprised if Paella started out as a way to use up leftovers. You’ve got to do something with extra food – not just throw it out or keep reheating it.

Thinking outside the box works for solving intellectual problems.  Why not practical problems?  There was no guarantee that my new sauce would be a success.  I’ve made plenty of disastrous meals during my years as a cook.  But enough of them have turned out better than okay, so I’m still willing to try.

Spaghetti Lefterini was good.  Next time I make it, I’m going to add some shrimp and sauted bell peppers.  Maybe I’ll call it Spaghetti Paella-Style. 

Spaghetti Lefterini – serves 4 

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil 

 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 15-ounce can ready-cut tomatoes

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 6-ounce can chopped or minced clams

1 spicy chicken sausage, fully cooked and thinly sliced

1 pound (16 ounces) spaghetti

Salt & black pepper to taste

Half-fill a large pot with water, cover and begin heating over high heat. 

Make the sauce. Peel the onion and cut it into small pieces. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir for about 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the soy sauce and the liquid from the can of clams. Save the clams and sausage slices to add at the end.

By now, the water should be boiling. Add the spaghetti to the water and stir to keep the noodles from sticking together. Check to see how long the noodles should cook, and set the timer accordingly. Continue stirring the sauce. It will gradually thicken. 

When the timer rings, add the clams and sausage to the sauce and stir. Test the noodles to see if they’re done, and if they are, drain them in a colander. To serve, either transfer the noodles to a large bowl and pour the sauce over the top or divide the noodles into 4 bowls and cover with sauce. Pass the salt and black pepper.

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