How to Reheat Spaghetti Bolognese (The Right Way)

Who doesn’t love spaghetti bolognese? It’s not just delicious, it’s also one of the best dishes to prepare ahead of time and then eat as leftovers. If you want your pasta to taste just as good as it did on day one, you’ve come to the right place.

How do you reheat spaghetti bolognese in the best possible way? It’s not as simple as just throwing it all into a pot and boiling some water. The answer to this question depends on whether it’s mixed with a sauce or not. If not, then you will heat up the pasta and the sauce separately. If it is, then you can use the oven or microwave.

There are far more details that all come together to create the best spaghetti bolognese. It’s entirely possible to eat leftovers that taste every bit as good as the dish you made the day before.

We’re true pasta lovers, and we’re here to share our secrets with you to help you achieve that delicious dinner.

Reheating the Perfect Spaghetti Bolognese

Not many people are lucky enough to have the time or energy to prepare a new dinner every single day. In fact, preparing ahead of time and then heating up over the week is getting more and more popular. Leftovers are truly an amazing solution to always being on the run. 

It may not seem like it, but reheating your spaghetti is almost an art that deserves to be perfected. Of course, it’s entirely possible to just toss it all into a microwave-proof dish and set the heat to high, but does it taste the same as the first night? It’s likely that it doesn’t.

Reheating is not as easy a process as it seems to be. There are many ways in which it could go wrong. Remember that burnt pasta sauce you’ve had to eat once? Or the pasta that was just a bit gummy and not at all like what you were dreaming of? That could have been reheating gone wrong.

Don’t worry, because we’ve all done it. We lead our lives in a hurry, and after a long day of work or school, the last thing we want is the hassle of adjusting our reheating methods. After all, the whole point of leftovers is that they’re quick, right?

Fortunately, there are ways to heat up your spaghetti bolognese without spending too much time on it, while still achieving a truly superior taste. If you’re a foodie like we are, you will appreciate the shift in taste that you will experience after following our simple reheating methods.

Heating Sauce and Pasta Separately

• For spaghetti and all kinds of pasta, reheating is incredibly easy. Throw the pasta inside a pot (this one is perfect for this) filled with boiling water and leave it to sit for 2 minutes. 
• For sauce alone, you have three methods:
  • Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat it up on the stovetop.
  • Place it in a microwave-safe dish. Add a tablespoon of skim milk, broth or water. Microwave on high in 90-second intervals, pausing to stir.

These methods work excellently. You can add some extra ingredients to spice up your day-old spaghetti bolognese – we cover this in the Step-by-Step section. 

Heating Up Spaghetti Bolognese Together

• Place your spaghetti in a microwave-safe container and microwave in 90-second intervals, stirring in between.
• Transfer your spaghetti to an oven-safe dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Heat up your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the spaghetti for around 15 minutes. 

Just following the above will net you great results, but there’s still more to it than that. Check out our Step-by-Step Guide in order to eat the tastiest spaghetti you’ve ever had.

Step-by-Step Guide to Reheating Spaghetti Bolognese

Anyone knows how to use an oven and heat up their leftovers – or at least most people do. But do you know how to really take those leftovers to the next level? Follow our in-depth guide to reheating your spaghetti bolognese.

Before we take you through the steps, here are a few general tips for you to consider:

• We normally recommend storing your pasta and your sauce separately. This gives you greater freedom with how you choose to heat it up since pasta doesn’t truly need to be warmed near as long as the sauce does.
• Whether you’ve stored the two together or separately, remember that spaghetti sauce – and most pasta sauces in general – have a tendency to thicken as you reheat them. This is why, to prevent this, we recommend mixing in a bit of water, skim milk or chicken broth. Stir it well. It won’t affect the taste – at least not in any negative way – but it will make your sauce smooth not chunky.
• If you want your leftovers to taste extra great, consider mixing in some spices or cheese. The taste of spices that you’ve added the night before may not have been fully preserved – the same goes for cheese. It’s good to give your spaghetti a little refresher.

We know that you want your spaghetti bolognese to turn out perfectly, so here’s a full summary of the steps you need to take to ensure the best possible taste.

How to Reheat Spaghetti Bolognese in a Microwave

Microwaves are one of the best inventions since sliced bread, and we freely admit it. They’re quick and easy, but they may leave your dish warm on the outside and cold on the inside. To prevent that, follow the tips below.

1. Place the entire dish inside a microwave-safe container, such as a quart container, mason jar, or one made of glass.
2. Add a bit of water, skim milk, or broth and stir it in. You can also add a hint of olive oil for even better-tasting pasta.
3. Sprinkle parmesan all over the top and add spices if you want. 
4. Cover the dish with a non-metallic lid and leave it askew – don’t close it fully. 
5. Microwave in 90-second intervals, stirring in between. 
6. If needed, add more liquid (broth, milk or water) – do this if the sauce is too thick for your liking.
7. Repeat the steps until the dish is warmed throughout.
8. Enjoy your delicious meal!

How to Reheat Spaghetti Bolognese in the Oven

This is a fantastic method if you have a bit more time to spare, and it also works well for lasagna! It ensures that your sauce will turn out right, and if you add cheese, it will come up crispy instead of gooey. Mouth-watering.

1. Place your spaghetti inside an ovenproof dish or container. 
2. Add a generous helping of cheese if you like. You can also add spices.
3. Add some extra olive oil to the pasta – it will truly bring out the spices.
4. Heat up your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Don’t leave any gaps.
6. Heat the dish for around 15 minutes. 
7. You can take the dish out periodically to stir it a bit and check on the warmth. When you do, you can add some more cheese for an extra delicious dish.

How to Reheat Spaghetti Bolognese Separately

If you’ve kept the pasta separate from the sauce, we salute you. It’s going to help you with the heating-up process tremendously. While you’ll need to perform a few extra steps, the dish should taste just like it did the previous night.

1. You will start with the sauce. 
2. Transfer the sauce to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. 
3. Add a bit of skim milk, broth or water. 
4. Feel free to add some spices or cheese.
5. Put it over medium-low heat and stir periodically.
6. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer while you handle the pasta.
7. Boil a pot of water with a hint of salt.
8. Once it reaches boiling temperature, take it away from the heat.
9. Throw in your leftover pasta and close the lid.
10. Leave it to sit for about 2 minutes.
11. Once that’s done, combine the two dishes and enjoy!

No matter which method you’re going with, we’re certain that you will enjoy the results and your pasta will taste as fresh as ever.

Invest a bit of time – in some cases, it will be but a few minutes – to ensure that you’re preparing the best possible dish. There’s no reason why leftovers should taste any worse than the first meal did.

Related Questions

If there are still any burning questions left in your mind, we’re here to clear everything up for you!

Can I Reheat Spaghetti Bolognese in a Pan?

If you enjoy the taste of fried noodles, it’s completely possible. Throw your spaghetti bolognese into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add some butter or olive oil. Stir it in with some cheese and spices. You can also add fried onions. Put the lid on and let it fry for a few minutes, stirring periodically.

How Long to Reheat a Single Serving of Spaghetti Bolognese in the Microwave?

We recommend reheating in 90-second intervals for the best precision. Simply set your microwave to high and after 90 seconds take out the dish, stir thoroughly, and check if it’s warm all over. Usually, after 2-3 intervals, your meal will be ready!

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