Precooked, then dried pasta?

[Different Socks]

If pasta is already dry when purchased, how does cooking it, then drying it, then cooking it again save time and fuel?

I just understand the logic behind this. It actually seems redundant.

[Toolshed]

Think of pasta as dried, hardened uncooked flour, egg and water. It needs to cook to soften it - It needs to absorb water.
When you cook it once, dry it and then later simply reheat it, it absorbs water much faster and softens up much quicker.
You then do not need to boil for 9-11 minutes. Doing this for an overnighter doesn't make sense but doing it for 15 lbs of macaroni for a 2-3 week trip and you start to see how it can become more economical and easier on te etrail.

[Different Socks]

Think of pasta as dried, hardened uncooked flour, egg and water. It needs to cook to soften it - It needs to absorb water.
When you cook it once, dry it and then later simply reheat it, it absorbs water much faster and softens up much quicker.
You then do not need to boil for 9-11 minutes. Doing this for an overnighter doesn't make sense but doing it for 15 lbs of macaroni for a 2-3 week trip and you start to see how it can become more economical and easier on te etrail.

Ok, I'll try it! Thanks for the reply.

[sherrill]

Many years ago I worked next to a pasta shop, where Mr. Abruzzi made pasta fresh daily. He then "flash froze" it. Cooking times were very short, even for the tortellini, somewhere in the 2 minute range. Angel hair was insane, something like 30 sec.

I understand that this might be out of range for this topic, but if you could make your own and then freeze it this way it could work for a trip, even if it thawed. We accidentally thawed some ravioli once, but still cooked it for the prescribed 2 minutes, and it was delicious.

I miss that great old man and his pasta. Nothing else has ever touched it.

[sarbar]

Dry pasta at the grocery store is not cooked. You have to cook it to eat it. By precooking/draining and drying you can have "instant" pasta that only needs hot water to rehydrate

[Farr Away]

Also, your 'instant' pasta won't taste gluey if you don't drain and rinse it. You've already done that at home, so you can just add enough hot water to rehydrate it on the trail.

[garlic08]

Is that what Ramen noodles are? I eat them without cooking, so I always assumed they were cooked first then dried.

[Rocket Jones]

Is that what Ramen noodles are? I eat them without cooking, so I always assumed they were cooked first then dried.

I believe Ramen is either baked or fried before drying.

[Stir Fry]

Never thought of doing this but it seems like a good idea. How much does it change the weight of the posta. I would also like to knoe can you dry it in the oven at a higher heat like 130 -140 or does it need to be done in a dehydrator at lower temperatures. Another question. Is it posable to buy pasta already cooked and dryed?

[sarbar]

Stir Fry, it doesn't alter the weight overall but less fuel used on trail really helps!

And yes, you can oven dry it. Do it on a cookie sheet, stirring often to avoid it clumping.

You can buy a few pastas ready to go but are few and far between. Mostly what you see is Chinese noodles (Lo Mein) that are similar to ramen (cooked/baked though ramen is deep fried.) Sometimes you can find it through emergency prep websites though.

[Pedaling Fool]

I don't think I'll ever get the concept of dehydrating rice or pasta, just too much trouble. Here's my thoughts on this topic http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64921
Two main concerns:
1. what's getting drained away?? You do have to wonder how much good stuff you're throwing out when you drain the water. I never drain water from my rice/pasta meals.

2. This may save time on trail with cooking, but that's a lot of time at home dehydrating trail meals that could be better spent dehydrating the veggies/jerky and fruits. IMO, it's far easier to just wait the extra few minutes on the trail.

[Toolshed]

With rice, it is starch that you draining away. At home, I always rinse rice to keep it from clumping. I use instant brown rice on the trail and I assume it was likely already rinsed when it was originally cooked.

[Pedaling Fool]

That's why I make stews on the trail. Too much cleaning to make traditional rice dishes. It's very good with all the other dehydrated stuff thrown in.

[Different Socks]

Dry pasta at the grocery store is not cooked. You have to cook it to eat it. By precooking/draining and drying you can have "instant" pasta that only needs hot water to rehydrate

My pasta always clumps together. Can you tell me how you cook it and then lay it out on your trays? How do you keep it from sticking to the trays?

[weary]

If pasta is already dry when purchased, how does cooking it, then drying it, then cooking it again save time and fuel?

I just understand the logic behind this. It actually seems redundant.

Precooking pasta and then redrying it certainly cuts the trail cooking time in half. But of course someone first has to spend twice the trail time at home, cooking, drying, and repackageing it at home.

That's why I use a wood-burning Zip stove on the trail. I have unlimited fuel, so saving the difference between 10 minutes (for precooked) and 20 minutes (un precooked) makes no sense. My overall time is much less, even when I include cleaning my blackened trail pot, which never has offended me, but does many hikers. I grew up in a house that mostly depended on wood stoves. A blackened wood-burning stove pot just triggers fond childhood memories.

Weary

[sarbar]

On rice....if one cooks it right you don't drain it. Or rinse it.2 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring water to a boil, add in rice stirring well. Lower the heat to low, put on a lid and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for another 5 to 10 minutes and then fluff. And then dry.

As for pasta....most pasta is simply flour(s) and water with riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate andas well folic acid added in to prevent birth defects. Not much to lose when you drain it unlike with veggies.

On drying pasta - line your trays with parchment paper. Toss the pasta on quickly after rinsing, separating as you can. Dry for at least an hour or two and just as the outside starts to harden, start seperating with your fingers gently. Do it too early and you can rip the pasta. Check back every hour after that to un-clump anymore

[Wise Old Owl]

This sums it up... John's on target "quick and unhealthy..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_noodles

Even if you don't add the oil, something has been taken away other than the starch... I realize wiki is targeting fried Ramen, but there isn't much difference between noodles and pasta.

[Dogwood]

I'm on the same page as John Gault.

Cook pasta, dehydrate, portion out sizes, package, then rehydrate once on the trail! WOW! That may not seem like a lot of work to some hikers but I have never thought of pasta or rice being cooked on the trail as all that time or fuel consuming! Instead of doing all that I simply opt for Lipton meals that are already pre-cooked pasta or rice or choose pasta that's small like tiny shells, orzo, elbows, thin thread rice noodles, Ramen, etc that cook faster than larger pasta. Really, all my trail meals just require placing all ingredients into boiled water and letting sit for a few minutes with the lid on my pot! It can be that simple!

[weary]

I'm on the same page as John Gault.

Cook pasta, dehydrate, portion out sizes, package, then rehydrate once on the trail! WOW! That may not seem like a lot of work to some hikers but I have never thought of pasta or rice being cooked on the trail as all that time or fuel consuming! Instead of doing all that I simply opt for Lipton meals that are already pre-cooked pasta or rice or choose pasta that's small like tiny shells, orzo, elbows, thin thread rice noodles, Ramen, etc that cook faster than larger pasta. Really, all my trail meals just require placing all ingredients into boiled water and letting sit for a few minutes with the lid on my pot! It can be that simple!

It depends a bit on whether one is on a tight budget or not. I never pay more than a buck a pound for either rice or pasta, often considerably less. Lipton meals provide the same nutrition at 3-5 times the cost. Liptons -- actually Knorr these days -- only adds boullion, salt and spices, which you can add yourself for pennies.

The same cost considerations are involved when comparing quick cooking oatmeal and instant oatmeal. Instant usually costs four or five times more for grinding the oatmeal a bit finer and adding mostly salt and brown sugar -- and an array of chemicals. The real difference in oatmeal cooking times? About 60 seconds.

Weary

[Red Hat]

I attended a great session on Dehydrating at the Gathering this past weekend. The recommended way to do pasta (or any casserole type thing) is to cook it and mix it up as if ready to be served, then dehydrate it in portions (2 servings for me). That way you just boil water and add to the ziplock, hydrate and eat.