If you’re going to cook pasta, you’re going to have to stir it. That’s just a fact.

But sometimes life gets in the way. It happens to us all — you’re cooking, and you forget to stir for 30 seconds. Or maybe you’re trying to put other things on the stove, and some water splashes on your wrist, sending the pan into a frenzy of boiling pasta and sauce.

And then there are those times when you don’t even realize that you’ve forgotten about your pasta until it’s too late — like when it’s been sitting in the microwave for five minutes or more.

What do you do? Do you throw out all that seasoned, cooked pasta? Or do you take one last shot at saving it?

We tried four different methods for rescuing overcooked pasta, including one that involves microwaving it again.

Last modified: October 12, 2022