4 ms·
Honestly, I'm not sure that I get the value here. Is it just the ability to do some of the prep in advance? Why is (2hrs + 4min) better than (10min)? When I'm c
by Steuard 12y ago
Honestly, I'm not sure that I get the value here. Is it just the ability to do some of the prep in advance? Why is (2hrs + 4min) better than (10min)? When I'm cooking a meal, getting the pasta done is rarely the limiting factor on any axis: it's dead simple, predictably timed, and requires very little attention beyond an occasional stir.
If you're looking for a different taste or texture and this is a way to achieve that, cool. But what makes the usual way "not optimal"? (I'm very leery of bold claims of revolutionary new cooking techniques based on traditional equipment and ingredients. People have been working to optimize cooking and discover new techniques for the entire history of civilization, and most of the low-hanging fruit has presumably been plucked long since.)
- tdicola 12y agoI'm with you, it's just not a big enough time saver to be worth it beyond the novelty IMHO. Also it's way easier to store some dried pasta vs. this hydrated pasta (that presumably has to take up some precious refrigerator space?).
- tptacek 12y agoWhy would you store all your pasta rehydrated? That doesn't make any sense.
- tptacek 12y agoYes. It moves and splits the prep, so that the longest part of it is doable far in advance. It removes a timing element from the the finishing of the dish, too; it user-proofs the pasta. Pasta timing is predictable, but requires actual attention to be paid to that timing. It's particularly useful for risotto, or for dishes like baked mac & cheese where rehydration in boiling water will overcook the pasta. What's particularly interesting about this technique is that it requires no equipment or advanced technique. Just soak the pasta in cold water. That's it. That's why I'm so effusive about it.
- ceejayoz 12y agoWhat? You've removed 4-6 minutes from the "longest part" (which is likely eaten up by setting up the soak, draining it, and washing the soaking container) and your technique still requires timing the pasta.
- ramses0 12y agoI will try using this technique next time I make carbonara. Carbonara is simple: cook bacon, reserve grease, pour in hot pasta + cheese + milk + egg. If I'm on the ball, I can cook and crumble the bacon a day in advance, but then the full pasta boil is easily the longest part of the process. If I have the bacon already prepped and can reduce the "bring-to-boil + wait ten minutes", it's actually a very nice time savings for me when having a dinner party.
- tptacek 12y agoIf you have a hot liquid to cook the pasta in, you don't need to bring-to-boil; you can heat rehydrated noodles through in oil, butter, bacon fat, or whatever.
- Steuard 12y agoOk, that's interesting: I hadn't recognized that you could use the pre-soaked pasta directly in fat (without further boiling in water/broth/whatever). I'm now more intrigued; thanks!
- jmnicolas 12y agoMilk or cream were not in the original carbonara recipe.
- aruggirello 12y agoBTW Carbonara is named after minced black pepper which should make it look like carbon - YMMV though. Oh, and don't forget to add grated pecorino cheese!
- julian_t 12y agoYes... as a technique, possibly interesting, but it would actually increase the time taken to prepare my pasta dishes!
- fit2rule 12y agoRestaurants can benefit from this knowledge. They have the down-time to prepare the noodles in advance, and can gain immensely by having shorter processes on the serving side.