The Right Way To Reboil Your Undercooked Pasta

Comforting and filling, pasta will always be an ultimate lazy meal. For late nights, quick 15-minute meals, and all the times when you simply don't have the energy to chop an onion or mince some garlic, boiling pasta in water and heating up some sauce will always do the trick. However, there are those occasional moments when you bite into your pasta, only to find that it's hard and tough without an ounce of tenderness. The initial disappointment may make you want to toss it in the trash and forage your pantry for something else, but the pasta can be salvaged.

If you've already added the sauce to it, don't fret — you can still add it back onto the stove. In fact, it actually pays to cook pasta directly in the sauce, so just view it as part of the culinary process. Pour it back into a pot and add some water to prevent the sauce from thickening too much. Stir the pasta every now and then and try a piece to ensure it's fully done before taking it off the stove.

For pasta that is yet to be swirled into sauce, you can simply heat it up on the stove again. Add it to boiling water and let it simmer for a few more minutes. The desired texture for pasta is al dente, so it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that your pasta is fully cooked. If you don't want to keep biting pieces of pasta to see if it's done, cut into it with a fork. A tender inside means it's ready to be eaten.

When you're feeling really lazy (no judgment!), you can microwave the pasta. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl and submerge the noodles in water. Set it for about a minute and check to see if it's cooked upon removing. It certainly won't be as good as pasta made on the stove, but it gets the job done for when you can't be bothered to pull the pot back out.