How to Reheat Pesto Pasta? - Step by Step

Pesto is one of the easiest ways to make a quick and delicious pasta dish that almost everyone will love. You can choose to make your pesto fresh at home, or you may like the convenience of store-bought pesto; in any case, you can sometimes find yourself with leftover pesto pasta to enjoy the next day.

So what is the best way to reheat pesto pasta?

There are three ways to reheat pesto pasta: in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stove. There are pros and cons to using the stovetop and microwave, but if done right, you should be left with delicious reheated pesto pasta to enjoy.

How to reheat pesto pasta

There is some debate as to whether it is best to microwave, oven, or stovetop pasta for the best results, and it is especially tricky when it comes to pesto pasta, as the pesto should not be cooked, but get warm. If it gets too hot, the pesto could lose its flavor, and that fresh herbal flavor could be destroyed.

The key to reheating pesto pasta is to make sure not to overcook it or expose it to high heat for too long . With this in mind, below we explain how you can heat pesto pasta on the stove and in the microwave, and the pros and cons of both.

Reheat the pesto pasta on the stove

If you use the stove to heat the pesto pasta, you will get soft noodles and a sauce that is hot, but not spicy. The stovetop is a good way to heat up the pesto pasta to keep the same flavor as the pasta had the night before.

Here’s how to reheat pesto pasta on the stove:

1. Start by heating a small amount of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat.
2. When the oil or butter is hot, add the cold pasta.
3. When the pasta begins to heat up, add a small amount of liquid, such as water, about ¼ cup.
4. Stir the pasta occasionally as it heats, and once the liquid is completely absorbed and the pasta is piping hot, remove from heat and enjoy.

Advantages of using a stove

Reheating pesto pasta on the stove is possibly the best way to ensure that the pasta stays moist and doesn’t dry out. By being able to add a little extra liquid, the pasta doesn’t dry out or harden, but instead uses the excess water to heat up rather than the moisture in the sauce.

Using olive oil to heat the pasta in the pan also allows the pesto to be sauced up, without becoming doughy.

Cons of using the stove

Reheating pasta in the oven takes a bit longer than heating it in the microwave. You’ll need to keep stirring the pasta so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, and make sure you add enough liquid to the pesto pasta so it doesn’t dry out.

You must be very careful that the pan does not get too hot, as it could burn the pasta. Heating small portions on the stove can also be tedious, and is best suited for reheating larger portions of pasta.

Reheat pesto pasta in the microwave

The microwave offers a quick and convenient way to heat up pesto pasta, or just about anything for that matter. However, you must be careful when microwaving pasta, as if you leave it too long or allow the food to get too hot, the pasta could become dry and hard.

Here’s how to reheat pesto pasta in the microwave:

1. 1. Place the amount of pesto pasta to be reheated in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle some additional water or pesto over the pasta to keep it separated and moist.
   2. Cover the dish with a damp paper towel and heat over medium heat for 1 ½ minutes.

1. Check to see if the pasta is fully heated, if not, stir to distribute the heat and continue to microwave the pasta on medium power for 15 seconds until heated through.

Advantages of using the microwave

Microwaving is obviously the fastest way to heat up pesto pasta, allowing you to heat up your food in a couple of minutes. If you add enough moisture to the pesto pasta before heating it and cover it with a damp paper towel, you can have smooth, saucey pesto pasta in no time.

Cons of using the microwave

Reheating pesto pasta in the microwave is an easy way to kill off tough, dry noodles.

Without enough moisture, the pasta can end up sticking together and mushy, with a dry sauce and an overall dismal dish. Be sure not to microwave the pasta for too long, or on too high a heat.

Reheat pesto pasta in the oven

Reheating the pesto pasta in the oven takes the longest, but gives good results. You’ll be able to keep the fresh flavor of the pesto and ensure that the pasta heats evenly.

1. Arrange the pesto pasta in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle a little pesto or leftover olive oil over the pasta and stir.
2. Cover the ovenproof dish with aluminum foil.
3. Let the pesto pasta heat in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the aluminum foil and stir the pasta.

Advantages of using the oven

Being able to place aluminum foil over the pasta when it is heated in the oven prevents moisture from escaping from the noodles or pesto. This keeps the pasta moist and the noodles tender. Reheating the pasta in the oven also allows the heat to spread more evenly.

Cons of using the oven

The oven takes much longer to heat the pesto pasta than using the oven or microwave. You’ll need to make sure the oven is at the right temperature so the pesto doesn’t get too hot and lose its flavor.

Reheating Fresh Pesto vs. Store Bought

Homemade pesto will taste as fresh as possible , but since pesto is made fresh, you can’t heat it up as much as store-bought.

Basil, one of the main ingredients in traditional pesto, can develop an off-flavor if it gets too hot. This can cause the pesto to taste bitter.

If you want to make your own pesto at home, you will need a food processor . Check out our article on the 3 best food processors for pesto if you think you’d like to invest in one.

When reheating pesto pasta at home, make sure not to let it overheat or cook for too long, as the flavor of the pesto will be completely ruined.

Store-bought pesto is a bit tougher. It contains preservatives that fresh pesto does not, making it more resistant to being destroyed by heat.

However, you should be careful not to overheat store-bought pesto, as it could become bitter if exposed to too much heat. Gently heat the pesto pasta in the microwave or on the stove, as directed above.

Red Pesto vs. Green Pesto

The green pesto is the traditional kind, made with olive oil, pine nuts, and lots of basil.

Red pesto, or Pesto Alla Siciliana, is similar to regular green pesto, but contains much less basil and added tomatoes and almonds, without pine nuts.

Red pesto is easier to heat as the ingredients do not turn bitter when heated.

By reheating red pesto pasta, you can heat it faster and hotter than with green pesto; however, do not overcook it as it may dry out and lose all its moisture.

Both green and red pesto are popular to be used in pasta dishes, either as a sauce on their own or with added ingredients like chicken or vegetables.

Both are best served when added to the pasta at the end of cooking, just to allow it to warm up a bit. This helps to preserve its fresh and powerful flavor.

Related questions

Can the pesto pasta be served cold?

Many people like to enjoy pesto pasta served cold as an appetizer. Pesto tastes freshest when it’s cold , and you can really enjoy the simple yet delicious flavors it contains.

You can always skip heating the leftover pesto pasta the next day and eat it cold from the fridge.

If it needs a bit more moisture, you can drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta. This will not affect the taste at all, since one of the main ingredients in pesto is olive oil.

Can you eat the pesto from the jar?

Pesto is completely safe to eat out of the jar, or from a bowl if you’ve made a fresh batch at home. Made with olive oil, basil, garlic, and pine nuts, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy pesto from the jar.

If the pesto has been sitting for a while, you may need to stir it before using it, as the olive oil may separate from the rest of the ingredients.

Can pesto be cooked?

Pesto can be heated with pasta dishes or served over chicken breasts, but it should not be cooked.

Cooking the pesto can make it taste bitter, so instead of cooking the pesto with the pasta or whatever else goes with it, add it last so it absorbs the heat of the cooked food.

Reheat pesto pasta

Reheating pesto pasta has a certain art. If it gets too hot, you can end up with a dry and bitter-tasting dish, but if done right, your pesto pasta can taste as fresh as the first time you cooked it.

It is always a good idea to add some additional liquid , such as olive oil or water, before reheating the pesto pasta, to ensure that both the pasta and the pesto do not dry out. Pesto pasta doesn’t have to be heavily sauced, but eating a dry noodle dish is never good.

Choose between the kitchen, the oven or the microwave to heat up the pesto pasta that you have left over and enjoy it!