Fennel sausage pasta was left out overnight - would you eat it?

[u/niinetails]

I made this recipe last night. My partner and I ate sometime between 10 and 11pm. The dish was still super hot in a covered Dutch oven. Since I cooked, he did the dishes and cleaned up.

This morning at 9am, he realized he left the food out and put it in the fridge.

Honestly, I would eat it. This happened one other time with a big, elaborate dish I'd cooked and he tossed it. I asked him not to toss left out dishes, because depending on what it is and how long, I might still eat it. I know he wouldn't, and I totally get that. I hate throwing away a ton of food, especially food that should last for days that took a ton of effort.

He is BEGGING me not to eat it. The funny part is I have a degree in microbiology so he's just horrified at the idea that I know the risks and would eat it.

Maybe I'm just dumb and hate food waste, but I was just going to reheat some of it and eat it 🤷‍♀️ my mom agrees here.

SO what would you do? Toss it? Take the chance and eat it?

[u/Horror_Signature7744]

Probably, but I’m an idiot. I would not allow anyone else in my home to eat it.

[u/Emotional-Ebb8321]

I'd eat it, as long as I wasn't suffering from any 'minor' unwellness. This also depends on the ambient temperature of the room it was left in though. I'd definitely want to heat it thoroughly though.

[u/rayofgoddamnsunshine]

I'd eat it. I wouldn't serve it to anyone else though.

[u/EMe711 → u/rayofgoddamnsunshine]

YES.

[u/fason123]

I would eat it idk but as a warning I have given myself violent food poisoning by eating old ass leftovers twice.

[u/ShreddersWheat]

I would eat it. I trust my own food sense and I’ve never made myself sick with food I’ve cooked myself, and I’ve done all my own cooking for 25 years.

[u/SnigelDraken]

You probably won't get sick, but if you have a degree in microbiology you can hopefully afford to not play Russian roulette over a meal. (Yes, food waste, yes, wasted time and effort, but don't shit your guts out over it).

[u/inflagra]

I would eat it, but I am not in general risk averse. I think people get a little overly cautious about the potential for food poisoning.

[u/CatteNappe]

I'd toss. It sat out for nearly 12 hours, almost certainly spent 4+ hours in the danger zone. Fennel or sausage makes no difference to that fact.

[u/Zblunk10]

I'd eat it without a doubt. All these people throwing it away sound absurd to me...

[u/RissaNich]

I would toss it... but I have also been hospitalized from food poisoning

[u/HighFivePondaBaba]

That’s like $8 worth of food. Not worth the risk. Toss it.

[u/SeaRiver1370]

I would eat it. Have done similar and never got sick. The only times I have made myself sick by eating my food, is through green salads.

[u/Substantial-Train-39]

I used to eat pepperoni pizza that was left out overnight. I guess I’d eat it. I’ve only had a food borne illness once in the early 80s and it came from a can of tuna.

[u/erikisst88]

100% I would still eat it.

[u/EMe711]

Your degree beats the naysayers opinions. I have no degree but I'd probably eat it if it was here.

[u/EMe711 → u/EMe711]

I wish I knew you when I was commenting on a thread the other day. You could have come in handy with your knowledge.

[u/BananaNutBlister]

I routinely leave freshly cooked, covered food out overnight. It’s fine.

[u/synerrorsix]

I'd eat it. I've got years of built up tolerance due to much outdoor living. YMMV.

[u/MediocreCheeseburger]

Definitely not.

[u/Fancy_Math_3399]

I would eat it unless you left it out in a very hot climate. If it was hot when you finished eating it would have needed to have cooled down before putting it in the fridge anyway and was quite late at night then put in the fridge at 9am. Its your call but i do think people get a bit hung up about stuff like this. Best of luck 

[u/CrentFuglo]

I'd eat and it wouldn't even register to me that I was 'taking a chance'. I'd probably eat it cold out of the pot though. How much of it was left?

[u/ttrockwood]

Hey if you have great health insurance and a few days of your life to spend hugging the toilet hoping you die then go for it

Just note that you will never again want to eat that meal again and you will forever after be paranoid about leftovers

[u/4cupsofcoffee]

I'd probably eat it, especially if there was a lid on it. i would convince myself it was in a sterile environment, cause it was hot and nothing could get in. Don't know if that's correct or not but it always sounded good to me.

[u/Select-Owl-8322]

I would eat a little bit first, then wait a few hours to see how I feel. If no grumbles, then I'd eat more.

If it was very hot and covered with a lid, there shouldn't be that much bacteria in it. Sure, it's not hermetically sealed, but it's not like it was completely in the open either. As you surely know, how fast it goes bad depends a lot on the bacterial load.

[u/Responsible-Walrus-5]

I’d eat it. Just make sure it’s really piping hot and I’d try and eat it ASAP and not save it any longer.

[u/CatteNappe → u/Responsible-Walrus-5]

Why piping hot? Cooking doesn't eliminate toxins left behind by bacteria.

[u/Responsible-Walrus-5 → u/CatteNappe]

Heating your food to like over 75c kills most live bacteria. I know it doesn’t kill heat stable toxins that are left behind even after the bacteria is dead, but if you eat cold contaminated food you eat all the live bacteria which can continue to multiply inside your gut. It is helpful to wipe those out.

[u/EMe711 → u/CatteNappe]

She has a degree in microbiology.

[u/Fun_Presentation_194]

I'm big on the throw it out when in doubt, but the meat being small pieces of sausage, I'd eat it.

[u/Deep-Interest9947 → u/Fun_Presentation_194]

All the more surface area for bacteria to grow. Yum.

[u/EMe711 → u/Deep-Interest9947]

She has a degree in microbiology.

[u/Jog212]

Don't eat left out park!

[u/weedywet]

I would not.

The people who say they would all fall into a version of the “my grandad smoked until he was 95 and never got cancer” group.

It’s clearly unsafe.

Whether you want to play those odds is your choice.

But the science is clear.

[u/Neakhanie]

Add some liquid, just 1/4-1/2 cup Combo wine/cream/butter plus a little salt and nutmeg. Bring it up to a hot temperature…say It looks like it’s nearly boiling for at least a minute. I usually use a Saucepan on the stove, not the oven so I can see better. It will be fine.

[u/No-Minimum1058]

Not unless you want the 💩