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Was it here?

11 years ago

Recently, and I think it was here, I read someone's suggestion about cooking pasta by bringing the water to a boil, adding pasta, turn off heat and let it sit until the cooking time is completed. I didn't believe it could work, but I've cooked spaghetti twice this week for my grandson and it's a miracle! Not only do I always boil it over onto the stove, but sometimes it sticks to the enamel on my pan. Both times, the spaghetti was perfectly cooked, not overdone, but perfect, without a drop of anything on the stove top to clean up!

Whoever you are, thank you, thank you. I can't believe that at my age I learned a better way to cook pasta.

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Comments (9)

foodonastump
11 years ago
Yep that was walnutcreek on angelaid's "Internet" thread. A family friend growing up always cooked pasta like that; I've never tried it.
Jasdip
11 years ago
I was making pasta the other day, and thought of doing it, then I chickened out :)

I'll definitely be trying it next time! Thanks Walnutcreek and Olychick for your good tip.
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triciae
11 years ago
Does anybody know if this method works with whole wheat pasta?

/tricia
Olychick
Original Author
11 years ago
Tricia, that's a good question. I also wondered if it works with pasta that is more substantial than spaghetti. I'm going to try both and if no one else posts the answer, I'll post the results.
cynic
11 years ago
I remember hearing about this but never think to try it although I do tend to turn off the burner early and let it go a bit.

I don't see why it wouldn't work with other pasta. Seems to me a big part of it is to have enough hot water in there. Many people skimp on the water and have trouble cooking pasta.

You're never too old to learn, if you want to. Tis a bad day when you don't learn something.
arkansas girl
11 years ago
I tried this today with whole wheat rotini pasta and it worked like a charm. I don't remember seeing it here but that doesn't mean anything. Could have been here...

You are also saving a little bit of electricity or gas doing it this way.
triciae
11 years ago
Thanks, AG! We don't eat a lot of pasta, mostly WW, and just had spaghetti/meatballs Sunday so it will be awhile before we eat pasta again but I've made a note to try this method.

/tricia
Jasdip
11 years ago
This reminds me of those pasta-cookers that were such a flop. The plastic tubes where you pour boiling water in and let it sit. You could cook hotdogs, or pasta or veggies in it. Same concept but this one obviously works.
Olychick
Original Author
11 years ago
Well the jury is out about it working on all pasta, but today I ate the leftover spaghetti, which was TJ's organic Italian, with just a little butter and pecorino put on it when I made it yesterday, no other sauce, heated it in the micro for just a minute and it was totally not starchy or stuck together, all the strands were very separate and chewy. Really, the best I've ever made! I'm so excited!

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