Most people will simply use a saucepan of boiling water to cook spaghetti, but have you ever wondered if you can cook spaghetti in a microwave?  I guess some people might ask why would you?  Well, there are many reasons – often people find themselves without a working stove, or the stovetop is already full, or they don’t want to generate steam from boiling spaghetti.

I always cook spaghetti in the microwave as I’m cooking smaller portions than most people cook – and I think it’s a lot of effort to wash up a whole saucepan when a microwave dish is so much simpler to wash up.  Reducing steam in the house is also an issue because steam needs to be ventilated out to prevent mould growing from the condensation caused by boiling.

How to Cook Spaghetti in a Microwave:

Ingredients & Equipment: 

• 225 grams of spaghetti (for 2-3 people)
• A dish at least 20cm x 25cm in size – the bigger/flatter the better
• 700 ml of boiling water, salted.
• A few drops of oil, to prevent the spaghetti sticking

Method: 

1. Place the spaghetti in the dish, cover with the water and add the oil
2. Microwave on High power (750 watts) for 4 minutes; stir; microwave again on High power for a further 4 minutes.
3. Leave the spaghetti to stand for 5 minutes
4. Drain and rinse the spaghetti with hot, but not boiling, water and drain well.
5. Serve

Cooking Spaghetti for One Person: 

Simply follow the method above, reducing the amount of water proportionately and reducing the cooking time down to 2 minutes at a time and stirring; you’ll be able to tell when it’s cooked and ready by how it looks and … having a crafty little taster length 🙂

This is how I cook spaghetti when I am cooking for one and wanting a small portion of spaghetti (70-100 grams): Microwave Spaghetti for One.

You Might Also Like: 

• Can You Keep Leftover Spaghetti?

Microwave Spaghetti Dishes: 

Nowadays you can buy special microwave spaghetti dishes to cook in, you don’t need these, but if you find it handy, then it’s your choice.  You can look through them on Amazon UK, the one that has caught my eye is the Fasta Pasta Spaghetti Cooker as it has a neat draining hole and integral pasta portion measurer. I’m sure I’ll get one of these before too long!