How to Reheat Pasta
Italians know how to reheat pasta to make it taste even better and now you will, too! There’s also an encouraging health benefit to this method!
Originally published April 28, 2012.
How to reheat pasta like the Italians do is so simple, yet delicious, you’ll never want to eat it any other way! It’s also the best way to reheat pasta, and that’s not just an opinion. Try it and let me know yourself.
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The word, “leftovers” seems like it should be a four letter word. So many people don’t like them, but it doesn’t have to be this way, especially with pasta. Here’s another leftover recipe for your Thanksgiving meal which tastes amazing as well.
“Crispy leftover pasta”–for lack of a better name–is something that every Italian household makes. However, many Americans, Brits, etc., have never heard of reheating pasta in a pan with olive oil, which makes me sad! If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I reheat pasta?” this is for you!
Does Reheating Pasta Make it More Healthy?
Yes, reheating leftover pasta which has been refrigerated, or frozen, makes it much healthier for our bodies. According to a recent study, chilling pasta after cooking it lowers the glycemic index preventing it from raising blood sugar by 50%!
The additional extra virgin olive oil is a nutritional boost, too. Over the years, Italians seem to have an innate sense of doing what is healthiest when it comes to food.
A friend tasted this at my parents’ house once, went home, made pasta and attempted to fry it immediately after making it because he loved it so much. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t taste the same if the pasta hasn’t been chilled and absorbed the sauce before frying it, but now he’s a pro in reheating pasta with sauce!
Next time you make your favorite pasta dish, make sure to make extra so you can give learn how to reheat pasta this way. I bet it’s one time you won’t be disappointed with having leftovers.
How to Reheat Pasta
a family “recipe” serves 1
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- any type of leftover pasta in tomato sauce (be sure to use good quality 100% durum wheat semolina pasta)
- good quality extra virgin olive oil
Special equipment: nonstick frying pan, seasoned cast iron pan, or even a nonstick wok
Directions to Reheat Pasta like an Italian
Pour some extra virgin olive oil into a nonstick frying pan, or wok, over medium high heat, and add the pasta.
Pour a little more oil over the top of the pasta, and let it begin to sizzle for a few minutes before stirring it.
Every now and then, turn the pasta; depending on how crispy you want it. Reheating pasta in this way is so simple, it’s no wonder it’s also the best way to reheat pasta!
How to Reheat Spaghetti Pasta
If you have leftover spaghetti, you make make it exactly as described above, or you can choose to do it this way.
Spread into the pan evenly, and drizzle with more olive oil, however, leave it much longer without turning it for a crispier result. As you see here, I made the spaghetti really crisp before touching it (the bottom should look like this before flipping it which will also hold it together.)
You can lift up the pasta to check when the bottom is crisp enough, then simply put a large plate over the top, secure it with one hand, and invert the pan carefully.
Slide the pasta back into the pan and continue to cook until the other side is crispy.
The refried pasta is ready when it’s hot, so it’s a matter of taste to decide when to stop cooking it.
I love it very crispy, so I let it cook longer.
I have shown penne and spaghetti here, but ziti, rigatoni, linguine (I don’t recommend reheating seafood pasta this way) and honestly, most any kind of pasta with tomato sauce is just as good.
I predict that you’ll never reheat your pasta in the microwave ever again if you try this just once. Give it a try and you’ll be making extra pasta just so you can make it like this the following day! Let me know if you enjoyed learning how to reheat pasta in the comments below.
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Thanks so much, and buon appetito!
Crispy Leftover Pasta
Special Equipment
- 1 Nonstick frying pan, or even a nonstick wok
Ingredients
- 1 bowlful leftover pasta in tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or more if needed
Instructions
- Pour some extra virgin olive oil into a nonstick frying pan, or wok, over medium high heat, and add the pasta.
- Add a little more oil over the top of the pasta, and let it begin to sizzle for a few minutes before stirring it.
- Every now and then, turn the pasta; depending on how crispy you want it, leave it longer without turning it for a crispier result.
- It’s ready when it’s hot, so it’s a matter of taste to decide when to stop cooking it. I love it very crispy, so I let it cook longer. (It is excellent most any kind of pasta.)
Notes
- If the pasta sticks or looks very dry, add more extra virgin olive oil.
- 10 minutes of cooking time won’t yield super crispy pasta unless you have it on very high heat. Cook longer for crispier results.
Nutrition
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Funnily enough, I’ve never actually tried this! Partly because we rarely have leftover pasta, partly because when we do I usually make a frittata with it (or bake it with bechamel). But this definitely sounds like it’s worth a try!
I can hardly believe this, Frank! Wow! I do hope you give it a try sometime as it’s just so delicious!
Have you ever added a fried egg to the fried pasta? I’m want to try it but not exactly sure about the turnout.
No I haven’t, but I don’t like egg and tomato sauce together. You can only give it a try to find out :)
I can’t wait to fry my leftover pasta! My mouth is watering thinking about it! Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.
Hi Myra, it’s absolutely wonderful and I’m sure you’re going to love it! I just had it two days ago! YUM!!
I have made this and it’s fantastic. I just took leftovers from an Italian restaurant that were drenched in sauce and added them to a pound of mixed dry pastas from different boxes to make this at a later time. The restaurant leftovers were meatballs and ricotta, banana peppers stuffed with sausage, and eggplant rollatini.
Like the restaurant leftovers, the dry pasta is also leftover, mixed together it fills a 16oz box. Boil the pasta. I added some pasta water and sauce to coat. Tossed it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. By tomorrow it can be considered leftover. The point being the recipe is highly adaptable.
Thank you Christina for a delicious cooking technique
Glad you’re happy with the recipe, David! I’m a little confused though, did you fry any of the pasta?
I have made this before using your recipe with leftover pasta. Last night I boiled pasta and mixed everything together just so I would have “leftover pasta” to fry today or tomorrow.
Gotcha!! Now I understand–enjoy, David! :)
My Dad, Italian-born, used to make this when I was a kid. The way I like to do it is to spread out the leftover sauced pasta on a baking sheet and actually broil it. Concentrates the flavors and gives it a nice chewiness that is meat-like.
That sounds good too, Elisa! Yum!!
This is the only way to reheat leftover pasta. I love adding a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. It really elevates the dish.
Wow, never heard of doing that, Jennifer!
If you have a seasoned wok, do not use olive oil as it will ruin the natural non-stick surface and also smoke a lot. I find the best method of creating crispy pasta is to spread it thinly over a olive oil greased tin or pirex dish.
Thanks, Alex! I don’t have a real wok, it’s an inexpensive non-stick one, so olive oil isn’t a problem, but thank you! CC