The Dangerous Mistake You Could Be Making With Pasta

Pasta is a wholesome meal that fits the definition of comfort food for many. You can add dollops of cheese to it or make it a spicy dish with plenty of pepper flakes and a bit of garlic. The best part? It's an easy dish that's accessible to both beginners and experienced home chefs. What's more, there are plenty of useful tips on the internet to make it easy for you to prepare a fresh batch of scrumptious pasta.

As one Redditor writes, "Always toss your pasta in your sauce on the stove over heat. Don't just plate the pasta and pour sauce over the top." This will make a huge difference to the flavors in your dish. Another home chef says that adding enough salt to your pasta while it's boiling can make a huge difference to its taste. Also, there's one thing that you must keep in mind if you are planning to store leftover pasta for later.

A piece by Eat This, Not That! cautions that you must always store pasta correctly instead of leaving it at room temperature. Why? Neglecting to do this can be a serious health hazard. A biotechnology researcher from Australian National University, Anukriti Mathur, said that cooked starchy food items, such as pasta and rice, can lead to food poisoning if they're left unattended for too long. The culprit for this is a bacterium referred to as Bacillus cereus, which can harm our bodies and digestive systems. Potential symptoms that may show up among patients include vomiting, diarrhea, and painful stomach cramps. Ugh.

Basically, what you need to remember is that it's smart to refrigerate freshly cooked pasta as soon as possible if you are not planning to eat it that day. Also, when you retrieve leftovers from your fridge, make sure to heat your food properly instead of rushing the process.