The humble pasta bake is an excellent meal option for the family to enjoy. The fact that you can include a huge range of ingredients makes it a great candidate for using things up that are approaching their use-by date. But what should you do with your leftovers? Reheat them!
To reheat pasta bake, use the microwave to reheat individual portions or use the oven if you want to reheat a whole pasta bake.
How to Reheat Pasta Bake
Regardless of the recipe that you’ve followed to produce your delicious pasta bake, you can safely reheat it in the microwave or oven. While the microwave is much quicker, the oven tends to yield better results, particularly if you have topped your pasta bake with some cheese!
Also, while you can reheat an individual serving of pasta bake in the microwave or the oven, you should really only reheat an entire pasta bake in the oven, to ensure it reheats thoroughly and evenly.
Let’s take a look at each reheating method in detail now:
How to Reheat Pasta Bake in the Microwave
Reheating pasta bake in the microwave is nice and straightforward. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Prepare Pasta Bake
Place your individual portion of pasta bake on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with a paper towel or some plastic wrap. - Reheat
On full power, reheat your pasta bake for two minutes before removing and checking it for doneness. - Check the Temperature
If your pasta bake contains meat or fish, you need to check that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 75C or 165F before it’s safe to serve. If it’s not quite done, return it to the microwave and reheat it in thirty second bursts until you’re happy that it’s ready. - Serve and Enjoy
As soon as your pasta bake is at the required temperature, it’s ready to serve up and enjoy.
How to Reheat Pata Bake in the Oven
If you’re reheating a whole pasta bake or indeed a relatively large portion, you will need to do so in the oven by following these steps:
- Preheat Oven
Switch on your oven and preheat it to 350F or 175C. - Prepare Pasta Bake
If you’re reheating an entire pasta bake, you can place it directly in the oven. But if you’re reheating a portion, place it in an oven-proof dish. - Cover
Place some tin foil loosely over the dish before placing it in the centre of the oven. This will prevent the pasta from drying out. - Reheat
Reheat your pasta bake for around fifteen minutes, before checking it for doneness. - Check the Temperature
If your pasta bake contains meat or fish, you need to check that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 75C or 165F before it’s safe to serve. You can return it to the oven for a few more minutes if it’s not quite done. - Serve and Enjoy
Grate some extra cheese and sprinkle it on top of your pasta bake before tucking in.
How to Reheat Pasta Bake Successfully
If you want things to go well when reheating pasta bake and if you want to hide the fact that it has been reheated then give these tips a read:
- Reheat All Types of Pasta Bake – The methods introduced above work well regardless of the type of pasta bake that you’re reheating. Your chosen recipe can contain veggies, meat, or fish and it’s perfectly safe to reheat.
- Crisp It Up – If you reheat pasta bake in the oven, you can crisp its topping before serving. After ten minutes in the oven, remove the tray and grate some cheese or add some breadcrumbs to the top of the bake. Then return it to the oven to finish reheating and it will come out with a delicious crispy topping for you to enjoy.
- Freeze It – Pasta bake is the perfect make-ahead meal. Once you’ve cooked it the first time, you can wrap up your leftovers and place them straight in the freezer for several months. You can then rely on your frozen pasta bake for an easy lunch or dinner option whenever you can’t be bothered to prepare something from scratch.
Is It Safe to Reheat Pasta Bake?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe to reheat pasta bake. If your pasta bake contains meat or fish, you will need to check its internal temperature is at least 75C or 165F before it’s safe to serve.
Other than that, you shouldn’t have any issues when you come to reheat a pasta bake that has been stored correctly in the fridge or freezer.
Reheating Pasta Bake FAQs
Got questions about reheating pasta bake? Perhaps these will help:
Yes, pasta bake containing most ingredients including meat can be reheated. When reheating meat pasta bake, ensure any meat pieces are piping hot in the centre.
If you’re reheating pasta bake in the oven, try adding a small splash of water before covering the dish in foil and reheating. This water will turn to steam, adding a little essential moisture to the dish.
Ross is a freelance writer with a passion for delicious food and drinks, having worked in the hospitality industry in the past. He began working with Let’s Foodie when it first launched to provide information on how to reheat, freeze and microwave different foods.
