Spaghetti tartlets

Prepare a very thick béchamel sauce (recipe on page 66) so that the mixture stays together. Mix it into the leftover pasta and add the peas, ham (alternatively, you can use the same amount of sautéed ground meat), Parmesan cheese, and a beaten egg to which you have added salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta into a baking pan or tray, trying to create a layer at least two centimeters thick and applying light pressure on the surface to compact it. Place in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.

After this time, use a pastry cutter to create discs, which you will dip first in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs. Gather the remaining pasta scraps and form more tartlets, again using the pastry cutter.

In a high-sided pan, fry the tartlets in plenty of hot oil until both sides are well browned. Serve them hot or warm.