Reheat pasta once, until piping hot throughout. Plain pasta is best refreshed in boiling water for a minute; saucy pasta reheats well in a pan or microwave with a splash of water. Add a little oil or sauce to stop it drying out.
Leftover pasta reheats really well as long as you add a little moisture back — the main enemy is dryness, as pasta firms up and clumps in the fridge. How you reheat it depends on whether it’s plain or already sauced.
Plain versus saucy
Plain pasta is best revived with a quick dip in boiling water, which loosens the clumps and warms it in about a minute. Pasta already coated in sauce is better reheated in a pan or the microwave with a splash of water, stirred until piping hot. Either way, heat it just once, until steaming throughout.
Boiling water (best for plain pasta)
- Drop the pasta into a pan of boiling water for about a minute.
- Drain and toss with a little oil, butter or sauce.
Pan with sauce
- Add the pasta and its sauce to a pan with a splash of water.
- Warm over a medium heat, stirring, until piping hot.
Microwave
- Put the pasta in a bowl with a splash of water or extra sauce and cover.
- Heat in short bursts, stirring, until steaming hot throughout.
Food safety: Cool leftover pasta within 1–2 hours and refrigerate; reheat only once, until piping hot.