We’ve all been there – cooking enough food to feed an entire basketball team when our appetites just aren’t that big. But fear not, for leftovers are a saviour, and storing your pasta dish in the fridge can actually enhance its taste.
Pasta’s charm lies not only in its delicious flavour but also in its sheer convenience. Whipping up a pasta meal is a breeze, and its versatility allows for countless variations with different ingredients and spices. And if you find yourself unable to finish it all, simply stash it in the fridge for another day.
However, it’s worth noting that not every dish benefits from refrigeration, reports MirrorOnline.
An article by Gizmodo titled The Science of Leftovers: Why Don’t They Taste As Good suggested that “something weird happens between the time you put your dinner in the fridge and the time you heat it up the next day”.
The piece contends that certain foods, like chicken from the fridge, can turn into a “soggy mess” while pasta may become a “dense sludge”. But this isn’t always the case.
Nadia Arumugam from Forbes weighed in on the matter with her own thoughts.
She said: “While there are a few foods that clearly don’t benefit from a night relaxing in the refrigerator, say a Caesar salad, or last night’s sushi, there are so many more foods that do improve over time.”
Better Homes & Gardens advised that cooked pasta can be stored in the fridge for three to five days.
To ensure it stays fresh, it’s essential to keep it in a sealed container to avoid it drying out or absorbing odours from other food items.
However, before eating, it’s wise to give it a sniff test to detect any unusual smells or signs of spoilage. If in doubt, it’s safer to bin it.
One common problem with cooked pasta is that it tends to dry out when refrigerated. But there’s a trick to keep it as good as new.
The Washington Post suggests adding a splash of liquid before storing it to prevent it from drying out. When it comes to reheating cooked pasta, you can use either a microwave or an oven.
For plain pasta, simply reheat it in boiling water. On the other hand, pasta with sauce can be warmed up in the microwave, while baked pasta is best reheated in the oven.