Quick Microwave Bowl Pasta (Printable)

Perfectly cooked pasta prepared in a microwave bowl in 12 minutes. Ideal for quick meals in busy kitchens.

# What You’ll Use:

→ Pasta

01 - 3 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or elbow macaroni work best)

→ Liquids

02 - 1 ½ cups water
03 - ¼ tsp salt

→ Optional Add-Ins

04 - 1 tsp olive oil or butter
05 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - 2 tbsp marinara sauce or pesto

# How-To:

01 - Place the dried pasta in a large, microwave-safe bowl (the pasta should not fill more than half the bowl).
02 - Add water and salt. Stir to combine.
03 - Microwave uncovered on high for 4 minutes.
04 - Stir the pasta, then microwave in 2-minute increments, stirring after each, until pasta is al dente and most of the water is absorbed (total 8–10 minutes depending on pasta shape and microwave wattage).
05 - If needed, drain any excess water.
06 - Stir in olive oil or butter, Parmesan, black pepper, and sauce if using.
07 - Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's honestly the fastest way to get hot, tender pasta on your plate when you're too tired to fiddle with stovetops and draining pots.
  • Your microwave does all the heavy lifting while you sit down and decompress, which feels like a small victory on chaotic days.
02 -
  • Microwave wattage matters more than you'd expect, so the first time you make this, stay present and check doneness starting at 8 minutes instead of automatically cooking the full 10.
  • Never overfill that bowl, because boiling water escaping into your microwave is both messy and mildly embarrassing, a lesson I learned by doing it once.
03 -
  • If your pasta finishes cooking but water remains, you can drain it or leave a tablespoon or so to help distribute cheese and butter more evenly.
  • Starting with hot water from a kettle instead of cold water can shave two minutes off the cooking time, a trick that's genuinely helpful when you're running late.
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