How to Reheat Leftover Pasta So It's as Delicious as It Was on Day One First, step away from the microwave if possible. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 20, 2025 In This Article View All In This Article Boiling Water Stove Oven Microwave FAQs Key Takeaways Leftover pasta lasts three to four days in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer. If you're batch cooking, keep your noodles plain so they are easier to reheat on the stove later. Pasta can be reheated in the microwave in a pinch, but you'll have better tasting results using a stovetop or oven. Ah, leftover pasta. If you haven't had it at least once these past few weeks, consider us awestruck. Pasta is, after all, a near-perfect food. But knowing how to reheat pasta properly is essential for those who rely on this carb-rich staple. One of the most-loved things about many pasta and noodle dishes is that you can make a big batch and eat it for days. But you probably don't want rubbery, dry results after reheating. Here's how to reheat your noodles so they taste as good as they did on day one. How Long to Cook Pasta Based on the Shape How to Reheat Plain Pasta Noodles in Boiling Water If you're meal prepping or want leftovers, keep your extra pasta plain so you can do more with it throughout the week. The best way to reheat noodles that haven't been tossed with sauce is to re-boil them, but only slightly. Here's how: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil on the stove. Place plain pasta in a metal strainer and dip it into the pot for about 30 seconds until warmed.Lift out of the water and shake slightly to drain as much water as possible from the strainer. Toss the noodles with sauce or add to your desired pasta recipe. This method will keep plain leftover pasta from drying out; the quick hit of intense heat will also prevent it from getting mushy. How to Reheat a Pasta Dish on the Stove It's easy to reheat leftover pasta in a skillet—whether already sauced, mixed with other ingredients, or dairy-based. Follow these steps: Bring a skillet to medium heat. Having a hot skillet before adding the pasta helps ensure your dish isn't overcooked as it heats up. Add olive oil, followed by your leftover pasta. Stir the pasta dish and ingredients a few times until thoroughly warmed through. If the dish is dairy-based (with cream or cheese), you'll want to heat it on low to avoid overdrying the pasta. Add more milk or cream as it heats for more moisture. How to Reheat Pasta in the Oven If you prefer to use your oven, you can easily reheat leftover pasta that has already been tossed in Alfredo or jarred marinara sauce. This is a great hands-off method that delivers a delicious, baked dish. Put your pasta into a shallow ovenproof dish and cover it with foil.Bake it in the oven at 350 F until just heated through, about 20 minutes.To make it extra gooey, remove the foil and add a sprinkle of Parmesan in the last five minutes. How to Reheat Pasta in the Microwave While not a preferred method, it is possible to reheat pasta in the microwave for a quick and easy option. Use the microwave when warming up individual portions of loose pasta (not a casserole or baked pasta) and avoid reheating the same noodles more than once—this can lead to hard, dry pasta. Place pasta in a microwave-safe container. Add a sprinkle of water or pasta sauce over the dish and cover with a microwave-safe lid. (This helps maintain moisture and prevents the noodles from clumping up.) Heat on medium-high heat for a minute, then remove to stir. Continue heating in one-minute increments until warm, stirring after every minute. Frequently Asked Questions How long does leftover pasta last? Like most food, leftover cooked pasta only stays fresh for about three to four days when stored in the refrigerator. So make sure to eat it all before you're forced to toss it (a travesty we're sure you won't be facing). You can also freeze leftover pasta for up to six months, but you'll need to separate the noodles from the sauce before freezing. (There's no need to thaw frozen noodles—simply toss them into boiling water to reheat.) How can I upgrade leftover pasta? Dress your noodles in whatever sauce you have on hand for a family-friendly meal that takes 20 minutes or less. If the noodles are plain, try making bucatini with kale and ricotta, cheesy one-pot pasta, or pasta with shrimp and spicy butter. You can also keep things simple: Drizzle your leftover noodles—sans sauce—with good-quality olive oil, salt, and pepper, and finish with a shower of shaved Parmesan. How can I fix cooked pasta that dried out? If the pasta is plain, a quick drop in boiling water, as described above, should be enough to add moisture back to the noodles. For a pasta dish with sauce and extra ingredients, the key is to add a little liquid—like olive oil, broth, or cream—then warm it up slowly on low heat. If the existing sauce has separated or thickened, whisking in the added liquid can help bind everything back together. 8 Easy Freezer-Friendly Meals You Can Make Now and Reheat Later Explore more: Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Cooking Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Leftovers and Food Safety. Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 31 July 2020. Freezing Rice and Pasta. UNL Food, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.