Don't Make This Microwave Mistake When Reheating Leftover Pasta

Linguini, fettuccine, tagliatelle, and farfalle — types of pasta are diverse and almost endless, but they all have something in common: We cook too much and end up with leftovers. While true Italians will say that pasta does not belong in the microwave under any circumstances, our busy schedules beg to differ. The promise of perfectly reheating yesterday's creamy garlic butter noodles within 60 seconds is simply too good to pass up. But even though pasta is famous for being versatile, it can quickly turn unreliable when we're attempting to reheat it in the good old microwave. Last night's juicy pasta dish can come out of the microwave painfully dry, sticky, scorching hot in some places, and refrigerator cold in others. So what's the mistake people make when microwaving pasta leftovers? Not adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to the bowl before you heat those noodles up.

Most leftover pasta dishes are already combined with a sauce, which can become a liability as the pasta cools down and absorbs all the liquid. This is why luscious freshly-cooked pasta becomes painfully dry when it's cold. Adding a couple of tablespoons of water will rehydrate the sauce and return necessary moisture to the dish. If you're reheating a creamy pasta dish (like one with Alfredo sauce, for example), you can add milk instead to avoid watering down the thicker consistency of the sauce.

Once your liquid of choice is added to the leftover pasta, pop your dish into the microwave. Forget about setting the timer to a minute and walking away — you should heat the pasta gradually, in 30-second intervals, and stir it a few times during the heating process. Stirring accomplishes two key things: First, the moisture rehydrates the whole dish (not just the pasta on the bottom), and second, the food will heat more evenly as you stir it, ensuring no part of the meal is left cold. Be mindful of the portion size, too — it's easier to evenly reheat meals that don't overcrowd the plate.

Covering the food as it heats up in the microwave will also lock in moisture. Cover it with a slightly open microwave-safe lid, a damp paper towel, or parchment paper. The steam will heat the pasta, making it soft and juicy, just like you remember it from the day before.

Now that you know how to reheat leftover pasta, we should honor the Italians and tell you that the way they approach leftover pasta is a little different. In Italy, bulk-cooked sauce can be reheated, but pasta is nearly always cooked fresh every time. If they do reheat a sauced pasta dish, it would be more usual to saute it in olive oil quickly, or repurpose it into a fritatta. So the next time you're hosting Italian friends and end up with leftover pasta, maybe don't mention the microwave.