Why You Don't Have To Rely On The Microwave To Reheat Pasta
Do you have a favorite pasta dish that you always double the recipe for, excitedly cooking extra so you can eat leftovers the following day? Whipping up a bigger batch of spaghetti bolognese or cacio e pepe makes getting a meal on the table much faster, and hardly anyone complains about eating pasta two days in a row. You've already invested time to shop for ingredients and prepare your masterpiece, so making more portions to go around is a convenient "thank you" to the future you.
As for reheating that leftover pasta, the microwave may seem like the obvious method, but it's actually not the best option. Why? While fast and easy, it doesn't maintain the flavor and texture of freshly cooked pasta, leaving it disappointingly dry rather than gloriously saucy, Giadzy explains. Fortunately, there are better techniques to employ to ensure that your pasta tastes as delicious as it did the night before.
Heat leftover pasta on the stove or in the oven
There are different ways to reheat leftover pasta so the flavors pop just as they did the previous day. One option is to toss the sauced pasta in a frying pan over medium heat with some olive oil, says Taste of Home. If you remembered to save the pasta cooking water from the night before in a Tupperware container, even better: Add a splash of that to the pan to loosen up the sauce and make it nice and glossy. It will be hot and ready to enjoy in just a couple of minutes.
The way Giada De Laurentiis reheats leftover pasta is similar, but she kicks the sauté technique up a notch by frying the pasta over high heat so it not only reheats, but it also becomes crispy and golden, according to her site, Giadzy. This avoids the moisture-sucking microwave method, and it's a way to breathe new life into leftovers so they're a little bit different from the first time.
Finally, you can also reheat your pasta in the oven, instructs Taste of Home. Just place the pasta into an oven-safe container, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Next time you make pasta, why not cook four portions so you can try all of these tricks and pick a favorite?