Who doesn’t love a trip to Olive Garden? It’s one of my go-to restaurants for any birthday or big event. It’s one of those places where you can always guarantee the food will come out fresh and will taste divine.
And its family-friendly menu allows even the fussiest of eaters to find something they like.
And when it comes to meals that everybody likes, the classic fettuccine Alfredo pasta has to be top of the list. And it’s not hard to see why. It’s so creamy, flavorsome, and downright delicious.
So it makes sense that if you can’t quite finish the mammoth portion, you’d want to take it home to enjoy later. Sometimes, I’ll even buy an extra portion to go because it’s just that good.
But the problem with reheating food is that when it is done incorrectly, you just don’t get the same burst of flavor or the same texture that you did when it was served fresh.
And no one wants to destroy a meal this delicious. So, in this article, you’ll learn all the tips and tricks on how to make your Alfredo taste as good as that very first bite.
How To Store Olive Garden Alfredo
Before we get into how you’re going to reheat your Alfredo, it’s probably worth mentioning how it’ll need to be stored once you bring it home from the restaurant. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too complicated, just standard practice really.
You’re Alredo is likely to go bad if you leave it out at room temperature overnight, so you’ll want to make sure you pop it in either the fridge or the freezer.
Which one you choose will just depend on how soon you’re likely to reheat it. If you’re looking forward to chomping down on your alfredo in the next day or so it’ll be fine in the fridge.
But if you don’t quite fancy having your Alfredo straight away, it will keep for some time in the freezer too.
Alfredo Fridge-Life
So, if you’re placing your Alfredo in the fridge, how long can it stay there before it needs to be eaten? Well, typically, you can expect Alfredo to last around 3-5 days.
Again, remember if the meal has exceeded two hours at room temperature, then there’s no point popping it in the fridge as bacteria will have already started to breed on the food and it will no longer be fit for consumption.
Below are the instructions for storing Alfredo in the fridge:
Let It Cool – You must allow your food to cool before placing it in the fridge to ensure optimum food quality.
Create An Air Barrier – To keep the food as fresh as possible for as long as possible, place the pasta in an airtight container, bag, or plastic wrap.
Place In Refrigerator – Keep in the refrigerator for 1-5 days maximum.
How To Correctly Freeze Your Alfredo
Popping your Alfredo in the freezer is always a good shout. It means that you can keep it there for that day when you’re really craving some comfort food.
There’s nothing wrong with saving food for a rainy day. But if this is what you’d like to do, you need to ensure that you do it correctly so that your food is as tasty as possible when you come to reheat it.
Below are the steps you should follow if you’re freezing your pasta:
Let It Cool – You should never place hot food straight into the freezer as it can really affect its quality when it cools. Therefore, you’ll need to make sure that your Alfredo has cooled completely before popping it in the freezer.
Create An Air Barrier – Next, you’ll want to create an air barrier for your food. The most effective way to do this is to pop it in an airtight container. However, freezer bags, plastic wrap, or aluminium foil can make great alternatives.
Thin Layers – Be sure to freeze your food in thin layers so that it defrosts quicker and is easier to reheat.
Label Your Food – Finally, you should always label your frozen food stating its contents along with its freezing date and expiry date so that you know when it needs to be eaten by. Usually, this type of pasta will be good to go for up to three months in the freezer.
Please Note – While you need to let your food cool before placing it in the freezer, you should never let it sit out for more than 2 hours. After this point bacteria can begin to breed in the food and make it unsafe for consumption.
How To Thaw Your Alfredo
The best and safest way to thaw frozen Alfredo is to leave it in the refrigerator. The only drawback to this option is that it can take some time. I recommend popping it in the fridge overnight the night before you’ll have it for lunch.
There are quicker ways to thaw your pasta, but these won’t always guarantee that they are thawed at a safe temperature. One option is to use a cold bath and place the container inside it.
This requires you to change the water every thirty minutes for around an hour and a half.
Or finally, if you’re in a real rush you can opt to defrost it in the microwave using the microwave setting. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this option as it could break the sauce and deteriorate the overall quality of the food.
Though you can add a little milk or water while defrosting in the microwave to try and combat this issue.
How To Reheat Olive Garden Alfredo
There are a couple of different ways that you can go about heating up your Alfredo. For example, you may choose to cook it in the oven, the stovetop, or the microwave.
Below, you’ll find more details on how to go about ensuring the best and freshest food with each different method.
Reheat Your Alfredo In The Oven
This is a great option because it ensures an even cook and it won’t break that delicious creamy sauce that you love so much. Keep in mind that you cannot cook Alfredo from frozen, though, so you’ll need to make sure it’s thoroughly thawed first.
Preheat The Oven – Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oven-Proof Dish – Place your pasta into an oven-proof dish and add a small amount of water. This will keep your dish nice and moist while it’s reheating.
Cover – Cover this pasta with aluminium foil. This will add extra steam while the pasta cooks and that helps keep the meal super creamy.
Cook – Cook the pasta for approximately 10 minutes. Then take it out and give it a good stir. Then place it back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Serve – Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Reheat Your Alfredo On The Stovetop
Now, this option will take a little bit longer than it does in the oven, but it does ensure that you keep that scrumptious flavor and creamy texture. And there are actually two different ways to go about it. Let’s check them out now.
Direct Heat
Pasta In The Pan – Place the pasta in a pan and then place that on the stove. Set the stove to a medium heat.
Stir – You’ll want to stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan but do so gently.
Add Some Sauce – Once the pasta has begun to get hot, add in a little extra cream or sauce to keep it moist.
Continue Stirring – Keep occasionally stirring the pasta.
Serve – Once piping hot, thick, and creamy, you can remove the pan from the heat and serve the pasta.
Steam
Fill A Pot – Fill a pot to around the halfway point with water.
Heat-Safe Container – Place the pasta into a heat-safe container and then place the alfredo inside it. Make sure the container is airtight so that water won’t get in once you place it in the water.
Heat The Pot – Place the pot of water containing the container of pasta onto the stove and heat up to allow the water to start simmering.
No Boiling – Don’t let the water boil as this will ensure that water finds its way into your pasta.
Stir – Stir the Alfredo occasionally to ensure that it retains its creamy consistency.
Serve – Once fully heated, remove from the stove and serve.
Reheat Your Alfredo In The Microwave
This is definitely the quickest way to cook your pasta, though it usually produces the lowest quality option.
Microwave-Safe Container – Place the pasta in a microwave-safe container.
Add Water – Add some water or a small amount of cream to the pasta and then stir. This helps stop it from losing moisture while cooking.
Cover – Cover the container with plastic wrap but be sure to make two hotels in it so that the steam can escape.
Heat – Heat the pasta for around a minute at a time. After each minute stir the pasta and add more water or cream as required.
Repeat As Necessary – Repeat the step above until the pasta is properly reheated and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serve – Once thoroughly heated you can remove it from the microwave and serve.
Reheat Your Alfredo In The Air Fryer
Preheat – Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prevent Sticking – Spray the air fryer with non-stick spray or brush the basket with oil so that the pasta doesn’t stick.
Cover With Lid – Place the pasta in the airfryer and then cover it with a lid
Cook – Cook for 15 minutes
Stir – Stir the pasta and then add some extra water or sauce to keep it creamy.
Cook – Cook for a further few minutes until cooked thoroughly.
Serve – Once heated, remove from the air fryer and serve.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it – you can now reheat delicious creamy Olive Garden Alfredo like a pro! As long as you follow the instructions provided in this article, you can be sure that your reheated pasta will taste just as good as the first time you tried it!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
