Cooking tips!
Storing and reheating leftover pasta
Leftover pasta keeps well in the fridge and reheats easily. Add a little extra sauce or oil when you warm it up to bring back that creamy texture.
One-pot pasta reheats like a dream
Pasta cooked in a single pan with its sauce or vegetables, like my one-pot pasta with broccoli, ground meat and Boursin or my one-pot pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, is wonderfully easy to reheat. Warm it in a small saucepan over low heat, add a splash of water or milk if needed, and stir often. That keeps the pasta creamy and stops the sauce from drying out.
Pasta and sauce kept apart
Did you store the pasta and sauce separately? Briefly boil the pasta again in a pot of water, or microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes with a splash of water. Warm the sauce on its own over low heat and combine the two right before serving. The pasta keeps its texture and the sauce holds on to its flavor.
Baked pasta tastes best from the oven
Casseroles like lasagna or a creamy baked macaroni with ground meat reheat best in the oven. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil so it doesn’t dry out. Depending on the size of the dish, 15 to 20 minutes at 320 to 340°F (160 to 170°C), convection, is usually enough. For an extra crispy top, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
How to freeze pasta without losing texture
Want to freeze pasta? With the right approach, cooked pasta, sauced pasta and casseroles all keep their flavor and texture in the freezer. Here’s how to do it.
Freezing cooked pasta
- Cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t turn mushy when it thaws.
- Let it cool completely and divide it into portions in airtight freezer bags or containers.
- Toss it with a little oil if you like, to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Storage: up to 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
Freezing pasta with sauce
- Some sauces, like cream or cheese sauces, change texture when frozen.
- Tip: freeze the pasta and sauce separately to protect the texture of the pasta and the flavor of the sauce.
- Reheating: warm the sauce on its own and toss it with the pasta right before serving.
Freezing casseroles and pasta bakes
- Casseroles like my eggplant lasagna with burrata or pasta al forno with giant meatballs can be frozen whole.
- Wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or use an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
- Reheating: bake at 320 to 340°F (160 to 170°C), convection, until heated through. For a crispy top, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.