Why does my pasta always soak up the sauce?

[Pinkyyy]

Believe it or not, I'm actually quite a decent cook.

Whenever we have pasta I usually make some extra to use as lunch for the next day. I have the same problem every time I do though, with the pasta soaking up all of the sauce while in the tub.

I'm sure there's probably an obvious reason for this but it's escaped me for too long now. Can anyone give me any idea what I need to do in future to stop this?

I'm not sure what you mean. What's the pasta and what's the sauce?

Cook it for less but, generally pasta doesn't reheat well.

Make sure it's al dente and not over cooked. When you drain the pasta rinse with hot water, or if it's to eat later with cold, this makes it less starchy and less absorbant.

I'm not very choosy about my pasta chapels but the kids like fusilli so I usually use that. I make a tomato sauce and mix it in with the pasta, then I will put the leftovers into a tub to eat cold the next day.

Will try cooking it less as I usually slightly overcook it because that's how I prefer it. Thank you.

@tenredthings so do you think I should run cold water over it and mix it once both the pasta and sauce have cooled?

Yes definitely, put the pasta aside for the next day and mix with sauce after they have both cooled !

Thank you! I don't know why that has never occurred to me before!

Put a splash of hot water in the tub before reheatingand give a good stir. It'll release the sauce again.

You need to add a cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to stop it from drying/sticking.

Do you find your pasta is also soggy? I've almost given up making lasagne as the lasagne is always soggier than I'd like and because there's only two of us, it's always by definition batch cooking and reheating because NFW am I making a tiny 2 portion lasagne. If I'm going to that amount of effort I want at least 4-6 portions so there's lunches etc.

That's a good idea @MrsJackRackham thank you.

@Harebel do you mean to stir a cup of the water back in with the pasta and sauce? That could work as there will be more liquid.

@BarbaraofSevillle mine doesn't seem soggy, it's nice when we have it for dinner but then it's dry the next day as if the sauce has turned to powder. I also hate making up meals when it's just for 2 portions but always struggle with reheating etc so never have much success with batch cooking.

pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over it before you reheat ( my mother in law is Italian )

pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over it before you reheat ( my mother in law is Italian )

@pinkyyy yes exactly that apparently the starchy pasta boiling water helps the sauce stick to pasta without it becoming claggy or dried out. You need a good cupful. Not ordinary water.

Jamie and nigella do it so it must be right?