The Best Way To Reheat Pasta With Alfredo Sauce

If you're dealing with a tomato-based sauce, reheating pasta is pretty straightforward: Just gently heat it up. But when it comes to creamier pastas, things get tricky — and buttery, cheesy Alfredo sauce is one such example. Cream is a key part of an Alfredo sauce recipe, and even when you're initially preparing the sauce, that cream can separate, leading to a sauce with an unappetizing curdled texture, referred to as a "broken" sauce.

This problem also crops up when reheating Alfredo sauce, as the oil from the cream, cheese, and butter can separate out from the sauce. But you can avoid this by following a few steps. Reheat the pasta on the stovetop on low heat (high heat makes it more likely to separate), and stir it frequently; if you're only reheating sauce without noodles, stir it with a whisk. Heavy-bottomed pans are best since they spread the heat out more evenly. If the sauce is already thick, or it starts to thicken a lot while you reheat it, it's wise to add some liquid to keep the sauce smooth — milk or water both work.

A slightly more cumbersome stovetop method for Alfredo sauce is to use a double boiler: Heat a pot of water, and place a bowl of pasta inside that pot (make sure it's not touching the water). Steam from the water gently heats the bowl and pasta, and the indirect heat makes it less likely that your sauce will separate. Again, be sure to stir it regularly.

The oven is a worthwhile method, as it also provides a gentle heat. Pre-heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and pop the pasta into the oven in an oven-safe dish. You'll want to cover it and possibly add a few spoonfuls of milk or water to stop it from drying out, as oven heat is fairly dry. Stir it every ten minutes. The exact reheating time depends on how much pasta you're reheating. Be warned, though: This is a slower method overall, and a larger portion may require 30 minutes in there (not to mention the preheating time).

Microwaving Alfredo pasta may not be the best reheating method, as it may separate under the heat. Plus, the thick sauce tends to let steam build up under its surface, making for a splattery mess. But if you play it carefully, it's possible. Keep the microwave on a lower heat, and take the sauce out every minute or so to stir it; be prepared to throw in a tablespoon of cream or milk to rehydrate it if it's drying out. Adding extra liquid in generally helps prevent a sauce from breaking, or rescues it if it's already broken.