Local Luxury Dinner Party Leftovers: Lunch & Dinner

This is the seventh, and final, post in the Local Luxury Dinner Party series, and the second in the Local Luxury Dinner Party Leftovers series! The dinner party was part of the Next Food Blog Star competition hosted by Foodbuzz. While I didn't advance in the competition, the party was still fabulous! After dinner, I had a refrigerator full of leftovers and this series covers the creation of new and delicious dishes made with the leftovers.

In addition to the delicious breakfasts we made from the dinner party leftovers, we also had a tasty lunch and dinner.  We had enough steak and broccoli romanesco for another meal and some tomatoes and plenty of ricotta.

First on the agenda was a Saturday afternoon lunch.  I sliced a few pieces of leftover sesame bread and laid them out on two plates. Instead of using mayo or mustard, I spread the leftover roasted garlic cloves onto the bread before adding the sliced steak and topping with another piece of bread.  A quick trip into a 350 degree oven yielded a warm and flavorful sandwich. The romanesco was delicious reheated - because it has more of a cauliflower texture it doesn't get as mushy as reheated broccoli.

After a busy day of errands we were ready for dinner!  I surveyed the remaining leftovers and found tomatoes and ricotta.  There was also a package of Nella Pasta's whole wheat linguine in the refrigerator. I checked the freezer for vegetables and came up with a frozen homemade pesto cube from my summer herb harvest.  I put everything on the counter and starting brainstorming on what to create.

The result? Whole wheat linguine with a creamy pesto heirloom tomato sauce.  This was quick, easy and healthy!  One dish = plenty of whole grains, calcium, nutrients & flavor!  Just look at the whole wheat goodness in the Nella pasta:

I hope you've enjoyed the dinner party & leftovers series.  It's been a lot of fun to put together.  We had a wonderful party and great leftovers! I challenge you to turn your leftovers into something creative and delicious the next time you're faced with a fridge full of the same.  I can't wait to hear about your favorite leftover creations!

Creamy Tomato Herb Sauce
A cup or two of diced heirloom tomatoes
1 frozen pesto cube (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Puree tomatoes in a food processor until almost smooth
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet or sauce pan over medium heat
Add pureed tomatoes and saute until cooked through (about 10 minutes)
Stir in pesto cube and cook until melted, stirring often
Remove from heat and stir in ricotta
Spoon over pasta and serve!

Summary: 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Sauce - 15-20 minutes; Pasta - 3-4 minutes for fresh pasta
Food processor, sauce pan, spoon, serving dishes