Transfer it quickly into a bowl of ice water, then drain and chill to stop the pasta from getting any softer. Chef Ken recommends making a cold salad with the overcooked pasta: Melt 150 g grated cheddar (add more if you like it cheesy) in 1 cup of milk in a pot. Cool, then mix in 100 g mayonnaise and toss the pasta in the sauce.

Or, for something lighter, mix olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and shallots to make a vinaigrette for a pasta salad with boiled chicken or tinned tuna, paired with veggies like cherry tomatoes and olives.

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Potatoes left to cook for too long? Rather than making a mash, try your hand at homemade gnocchi. Mash up all the spuds, then mix in plain flour and a pinch of salt and pepper until you get a malleable dough.

Knead and roll the dough into a rectangular log. Cut out 3 cm-long pieces and press a fork lightly on each one to create a pattern. Cook in a pot of salted boiling water with a bit of oil until they float, then dress the gnocchi with a cream or tomato sauce.

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If it’s a beef stew, adding canned tomato puree helps – the sourness of the puree neutralises the saltiness of the dish. Alternatively, whip up a noodle or pasta dish with the over-seasoned gravy, which flavours the plain carbs quite nicely.

If the gravy is way too salty, strain the cooked meat and set it aside. Now add some raw meat (first seasoned with salt and pepper, lightly coated with flour and pan-fried lightly) into the stew together with more water or stock, and cook until the meat is tender. Then, mix the first batch of meat back in and cook for a while more. 

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Make wonton with them. Dice the prawns and mix with minced meat or fish paste (available in the chiller section of major supermarkets), chopped chestnuts, spring onions and coriander leaves. Spread on wonton wrappers and either bring to the boil in chicken stock for a quick soup, or deep-fry them for a yummy pre-dinner snack for guests.

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Make a creamy soup with it. Saute some onions until they are soft and caramelised, then saute veggies like spinach and green peas (optional), and mix in the mushy broccoli or cauliflower.

Add enough chicken or vegetable stock to cover the veggies, bring it to the boil then remove from heat. Leave to cool slightly, then blend the mixture directly in the pot, using a hand-held blender. Add 150 ml cooking cream and a little butter and cook until fully incorporated, then add salt and pepper to taste.

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The trick is to fold in more fresh cream until it reaches the desired consistency.

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Chill it and slice it thinly against the grain (which cuts the meat in a way that makes it easier to chew), then use it to make a beef sandwich with mayonnaise, sliced onions, lettuce and melted cheese. It makes a nice starter for your party.

Text: Lim Tsiao Hui/Simply Her

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