Salvaging Leftover Pasta – but not just any leftover pasta, as most can be successfully microzapped. I had bought some storebought fresh pasta, that, while tasting pretty good , cooked to soft and was a pile of mush when I turned the leftovers into a bowl. The following night, taking a cue from Italian baked pastas , I turned it into a shallow baking dish – so pasta itself was maybe 1 ½ deep, then sprinkled a layer of cheese over it and a thick coating of breadcrumbs, then drizzled with oil. The pasta had heated through when crumbs started browning – so there was a nice crunch before the moosch.