The Best Noodles To Use When Cooking Pasta In The Microwave

Pasta is one of those foods that always has a place on the table, from workday lunches to elegant dinners to cold salads at a summer barbecue, which is why it never hurts to know how to prepare it multiple ways. As it turns out, a microwave is actually a handy and effective method for cooking pasta.

When using this appliance for your pasta, though, it's important that you choose wisely; not all shapes are created equal and you'll have better luck with some than others. In particular, look for options that are on the short side. Classics like penne, fusilli, mezzi rigatoni, and farfalle are great go-tos for this process. While longer pastas such as spaghetti and linguine can work in theory, they are more logistically challenging as your microwave chamber and cooking vessel may not be large enough to accommodate the dried strands and water required to cook them. With that in mind, you can implement some slight modifications to your process — for example, instead of classic bucatini cacio e pepe, make the dish with macaroni.

While there are plenty of pasta mistakes you should never make, putting your microwave to work for your next meal is not one of them, provided you adhere to a few simple guidelines.

There are a number of reasons one might want to nuke their noodles. First, although the actual cooking time is about the same between the stovetop and the microwave, the latter means boiling water is unnecessary. It also makes for a super-easy cleanup since you can cook right in the bowl you might want to use for serving, plus it saves you from using a precious burner if you have multiple cooking tasks going.

To make this happen, simply submerge your selected pasta in a microwave-safe bowl. The container size is critical; you need about two inches of water above the top of your noodles, but also at least two inches of headspace (you risk a boil-over situation otherwise). Pause about halfway through the cooking process to give your pasta a stir, but for that perfect al dente bite, cook your noodles for about the time the package suggests (give or take a minute). You can decide on doneness by tasting a piece toward the end of the designated time.

While microwaving pasta is a useful trick, there are some limitations. You're looking at a capacity of only about one or two servings, so it's not super helpful for a dinner party. But if you intend to feed small parties or even just prepare a solo meal, stick to short pasta selections and you'll be in good shape in no time.