Buzz
Whether you're in a dorm or a small kitchen, you can still prepare delicious meals, such as spaghetti. Consider whether to use tap water or boiling water with cooking oil. Don't forget that you can also use the microwave to make a tasty meat sauce that pairs perfectly with spaghetti.
Ingredients
Cooking Noodles in a Microwave
- Spaghetti noodles
- Water
Adjustable serving size
Cooking Noodles
- 300 g uncooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil, optional
- Boiling water, as needed
Prepares 4 servings
Using canned sauce
- 1 jar of pasta sauce
Customizable servings
Cooking Meat Sauce
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 diced carrot
- 300 g lean ground beef
- 1 can (400 g) chopped tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) boiling water
- 1 beef stock cube or 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) stock powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano
- Black pepper to taste
Prepares 4 servings
Steps
Cooking Noodles in the Microwave
Break the spaghetti and place it in a bowl. Take the desired amount of spaghetti noodles. Break them into two or three pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.
Pour enough water into the bowl to cover the noodles by about 5 cm. You can use room temperature water or simply run the tap to fill the bowl. It’s crucial that the noodles are fully submerged.
- The noodles will expand to double or triple their size when cooked, which is why you need enough water to cover them.
Microwave the noodles for 3 minutes longer than the package instructions. Place the bowl in the microwave and check the cooking time on the package. Set the timer for 3 minutes longer than the recommended time.
- For example, if the package suggests boiling for 9 minutes, microwave the noodles for 12 minutes.
Drain the water and use the cooked noodles. Carefully remove the hot bowl of noodles from the microwave. Place a colander in the sink and slowly pour the noodles into it to drain the water. Then, you can add your favorite sauce to the freshly cooked noodles.
- Store any leftover cooked noodles in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
Cooking Noodles with Boiling Water
Break the dry spaghetti and place it in a bowl. Take 300 g of uncooked spaghetti and break it into three pieces. Ensure the noodles fit neatly in a microwave-safe bowl without sticking out.
Coat the noodles with oil and pour boiling water over them. Drizzle 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil over the dry noodles and mix until the oil evenly coats each strand. Then, pour boiling water into the bowl, ensuring the noodles are submerged by at least 5 cm.
- Mixing the noodles with oil prevents them from sticking together during microwaving.
Microwave the spaghetti for 8 minutes. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on high power for 8 minutes. Pause halfway through to stir the noodles.
- Be cautious when stirring, as the bowl will be extremely hot.
Remove the spaghetti and let it sit for 2 minutes. After allowing the spaghetti to rest for a few minutes, taste it to check if it’s cooked. If the noodles are still too firm for your liking, microwave them for an additional 2 minutes.
Drain the water and serve the spaghetti with sauce. Place a colander in the sink and slowly pour the cooked noodles into it. The hot water will drain into the sink. Now, you can serve the spaghetti with your chosen sauce.
- To store leftover spaghetti, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
Heating Canned Sauce in the Microwave
Pour the jar of pasta sauce into a large bowl. Choose a microwave-safe bowl that’s large enough to prevent splattering. If preparing a smaller portion, only pour the amount of sauce you need into the bowl.
Tip: You can choose any sauce you prefer, from marinara to alfredo!
Heat the sauce in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Place the bowl of sauce in the microwave and heat on LOW power to warm it up. Stop and stir the sauce every 30 seconds during heating.
- Remember that a full jar of sauce may take 2-3 minutes to heat, but a single serving might only need 1 minute.
Pour the hot sauce over the cooked noodles. Once the sauce is sufficiently heated, remove it from the microwave and drizzle it over the cooked spaghetti. Serve the pasta with the sauce while it’s still hot.
Cooking Meat Sauce in the Microwave
Finely chop 1 onion, 1 carrot, and mince 1 garlic clove. Peel and place the onion and garlic on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to dice the onion into small pieces about 1.3 cm and mince the garlic clove. Dice the carrot into pea-sized pieces and add everything to a large microwave-safe bowl.
- If short on time, you can purchase pre-chopped onion and carrot packs.
Mix 300 g of lean ground beef with the vegetables in the bowl. Combine the beef with the chopped vegetables, breaking the meat into smaller pieces as you mix. This ensures the beef cooks evenly.
Did you know?
It’s important to use lean beef to prevent the sauce from becoming too greasy. If lean beef isn’t available, you can substitute it with ground chicken or turkey.
Cover the bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Use plastic wrap to cover the bowl, then make a small 5 cm slit in the wrap to allow steam to escape. Heat the meat and vegetable mixture on high power for 3 minutes.
- If you prefer not to use plastic wrap, you can cover the bowl with a lid, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.
- Be cautious when handling the bowl, as it will be very hot.
Microwave the meat mixture for another 3 minutes. Keep the bowl covered and cook until the meat is no longer pink. To ensure the meat is fully cooked, use a food thermometer to check the center of the mixture. The internal temperature should reach 71°C.
- If the meat is still slightly pink or hasn’t reached 71°C, cover it again and microwave for an additional minute before checking again.
- Drain any visible fat from the bowl once the meat is cooked.
Add tomatoes, water, soup cube, and oregano, then mix well. Open a 400 g can of chopped tomatoes and pour it into the bowl with the meat and vegetables. Add 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of boiling water, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of dried oregano, and 1 beef stock cube or 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) of stock powder.
Microwave the meat sauce for 7 minutes. Cover the bowl and heat the sauce on high power. The sauce will begin to bubble and release a fragrant aroma.
- Taste and stir in some ground pepper according to your preference. You can now taste the sauce since the meat is fully cooked.
Microwave the sauce for 10 minutes before serving. Remove the lid and stir the sauce thoroughly, then cover the bowl again and heat for an additional 10 minutes. Stir halfway through to ensure even heating. Carefully take the sauce out of the microwave and pour it over the cooked spaghetti.
- Store any leftover meat sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
What You'll Need
Cooking Noodles
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Colander
Cooking Noodles with Boiling Water
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Lid or plastic wrap
- Spoon
- Colander
Heating Canned Sauce in the Microwave
- Large microwave-safe bowl
- Spoon
Cooking Meat Sauce in the Microwave
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large microwave-safe bowl
- Knife and cutting board
- Fork
- Plastic wrap or paper towel
Tips
- To ensure the sauce heats evenly in the microwave, avoid piling it into a round mound. Instead, create a hollow center like a donut or ring shape. This allows the sauce to heat more quickly and evenly.
- For a gluten-free spaghetti option, substitute regular noodles with zucchini noodles.
