Here's one of those "life-hack" skills we can apply right now and be all practiced when it's TEOTWAWKI "go-time."
Raw, dry pasta--the spaghetti, macaroni, rotini, and such--that we store
in buckets for years, can be cooked much quicker and with far less fuel
than indicated on the package directions. Curious? I was too.
Dry pasta (the following does not apply to fresh) needs to both hydrate and cook. However, these don't have to occur at the same time. Completely hydrating the pasta first significantly reduces the time necessary for cooking.
Here's how to do it for best results:
Pasta
Dehydrating Pasta for Instant Meals
For further reading:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html (This article also addresses the physics of boiling water and cooking food in large pots and small pots and which is more efficient and why.)
https://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2009/08/one-minute-pasta.html
https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html
Dry pasta (the following does not apply to fresh) needs to both hydrate and cook. However, these don't have to occur at the same time. Completely hydrating the pasta first significantly reduces the time necessary for cooking.
Here's how to do it for best results:
- Put 8 ounces (by weight) of pasta in 2 quarts of cool or cold tap water in a medium-sized pan. (Do not use hot water.)
- Rehydrate pasta for 20-90 minutes, depending on pasta shape/size. Thin pasta like angel hair or spaghettini takes less time than ziti. Hydration is complete when the pasta is no longer crunchy inside. It is ok if the pasta soaks longer.
- If you are putting the pasta into a sauce, the soaked pasta can simply be added to the simmering sauce to heat it. One and one-half to two minutes is all you need for thin pasta. If you're not adding the pasta to a sauce, drop the soaked and drained pasta into a pot of boiling water, cook for 1-2 minutes, and drain. Interestingly, soaked pasta is soft but firms up with cooking. Make sure you cook it for at least one minute or it may be mushy.
Pasta
Dehydrating Pasta for Instant Meals
For further reading:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html (This article also addresses the physics of boiling water and cooking food in large pots and small pots and which is more efficient and why.)
https://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2009/08/one-minute-pasta.html
https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html
