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Original poster

To eat this pasta bake tonight?

180 replies

BlueBoatVillage · 11/10/2025 09:30

Argh, made a lovely pasta bake last night and did enough for tonight as well as today is going to be manic so won’t really have much time to cook.

We ate half of it and it was on the side, cooling down. I put cling film over it, with the intention of putting it in the fridge once cooled (as I usually do)

Came down this morning and realised I’d forgotten to put it in the fridge Sad I did so straight away when I realised.

Do you think it would be okay to eat tonight or should I bin it?

OP posts:
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Toptops · 13/10/2025 18:26

I'd eat it!

Growlybear83 · 12/10/2025 09:43

Of course it’s ok to eat it tonight. What do you think people did with leftovers before fridges were commonplace? When I was very young, a couple of my friends didn’t have fridges and leftovers like this would just be put in the pantry until the next day.

SoMuchBadAdvice · 12/10/2025 09:25

I'd cook & eat BUT:

Oven at 180 Fan
Straight from fridge to oven
Food thermometer > 60 C at center before serving.

Do NOT freeze. Do NOT let it spend any more time at any temp 10 C - 56 C

SoMuchBadAdvice · 12/10/2025 09:16

VoodooQualities · 11/10/2025 09:33

It will be absolutely fine. Just heat it up tonight until it's piping hot throughout.

The only thing that will have happened overnight is a small amount of bacteria will have started to grow in it, and heating it up to nice and hot will kill all of these no problem.

It's the toxins that the bacteria create whilst growing that make you sick. Killing the bacteria makes no difference.

TaterTots68 · 11/10/2025 23:16

I'd eat it but I have a cast iron stomach!

Coulddowithanap · 11/10/2025 22:29

I'd have eaten it.

FunMustard · 11/10/2025 22:29

What a waste of an entire meal.

CWigtownshire · 11/10/2025 22:26

I'd eat it and not even think there would be anything wrong with it. If it smells okay and hasn't turned green we'd all eat it no problem.

whereisthatcathidingnow · 11/10/2025 20:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

whatcanthematterbe81 · 11/10/2025 20:36

Some total drama queens on ere 😂 surprised I’m still alive

bittertwisted · 11/10/2025 20:28

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 11/10/2025 10:25

Yeah. I’d eat it. I’d eat it cold straight from the dish.

Me too. The drama and fuss

ErinBell01 · 11/10/2025 20:06

I'd just eat it, it'll probably be fine.
You'd have been better not putting cling film over it until it was cool, on the point of going in fridge.
I used to think that heating up to boiling was ok but remember my engineer father, who used to have a job testing equipment, that you have to boil for at least 20 minutes to kill the bacteria. And that doesn't kill the toxins already created.

JustMeAndTheFish · 11/10/2025 20:00

I’d definitely eat it. My friend who is in food hygiene suggests looking, smelling and tasting and only then don’t eat if anything seems off. Her actual words are “if it’s green don’t t eat it” 😂

youalright · 11/10/2025 19:43

BlueBoatVillage · 11/10/2025 19:00

Update- I didn’t eat it 🙈 I just didn’t want to risk it- some comments really put me off. I’d have been feeding it to my 3 year old too so didn’t want to risk them getting ill!

Good choice not worth the risk

tommyhoundmum · 11/10/2025 19:42

BlueBoatVillage · 11/10/2025 09:30

Argh, made a lovely pasta bake last night and did enough for tonight as well as today is going to be manic so won’t really have much time to cook.

We ate half of it and it was on the side, cooling down. I put cling film over it, with the intention of putting it in the fridge once cooled (as I usually do)

Came down this morning and realised I’d forgotten to put it in the fridge Sad I did so straight away when I realised.

Do you think it would be okay to eat tonight or should I bin it?

It will be fine. Although it might be better to let the bake cool properly before putting on clingfilm.

Original poster
BlueBoatVillage · 11/10/2025 19:00

Update- I didn’t eat it 🙈 I just didn’t want to risk it- some comments really put me off. I’d have been feeding it to my 3 year old too so didn’t want to risk them getting ill!

OP posts:
Funnywonder · 11/10/2025 18:46

Bin it, disinfect the kitchen, bleach everything and burn down the house and possibly your neighbour's house as well just to be on the safe side.

This made me laugh🤣🤣

SafeSex · 11/10/2025 18:38

Bin it, disinfect the kitchen, bleach everything and burn down the house and possibly your neighbour's house as well just to be on the safe side.

Alternatively heat it thoroughly and eat. People did survive before the invention of fridges.

Rizzla · 11/10/2025 18:29

It comes down to whether youre comfortable with it and if you’d actually enjoy it or just spend the next few hours worrying!

I’m a bit emetophobic so I know it wouldn’t be worth it for me, but clearly a lot of people would and would probably be okay.

Rizzla · 11/10/2025 18:27

Aluna · 11/10/2025 11:26

I’ve eaten cold and reheated rice for approx 35 years and I’ve never got food poisoning.

Show quote history

You can get botulism from rice and pasta that has been left at room temp for too long. Reheating it doesn’t kill the spores.

people confuse this with thinking you can’t eat reheated rice, you can, just as long as it was stored correctly beforehand

MammarOfOne · 11/10/2025 18:22

BlueBoatVillage · 11/10/2025 09:30

Argh, made a lovely pasta bake last night and did enough for tonight as well as today is going to be manic so won’t really have much time to cook.

We ate half of it and it was on the side, cooling down. I put cling film over it, with the intention of putting it in the fridge once cooled (as I usually do)

Came down this morning and realised I’d forgotten to put it in the fridge Sad I did so straight away when I realised.

Do you think it would be okay to eat tonight or should I bin it?

How hot is your kitchen over night? I don’t have heating on in my kitchen and when I’m not cooking it’s quite cool, even in the summer. If it’s cool in your kitchen I’d eat it.

stoptalkingdirtytome · 11/10/2025 14:28

I’d eat it no questions asked

RabbitsEatPancakes · 11/10/2025 14:24

It'll be absolutely fine. I'd eat and feed it to my kids.
How do you think we all survived without fridges? Meat was kept unrefrigerated in all homes.
I wouldn't eat something like pate or seafood left out but pasta bake that basically sealed in cheese would be fine.

user2848502016 · 11/10/2025 14:23

I’d eat it, your kitchen won’t have been that hot overnight, and cheese and bacon are low risk

Changingplace · 11/10/2025 14:17

FunMustard · 11/10/2025 13:11

I am honestly baffled by those that would bin it. I would stick it in the fridge and eat it without a second thought - something with fish might give me pause but otherwise not.

I regularly leave things out overnight, the only time I've had food poisoning it was from a restaurant <shrugs>

I guess if there is anyone immuno-commpromised or otherwise I'd unwell I'd deter them from eating it.

Absolutely this, I’m always surprised by the number of people who will throw away perfectly good food.

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