View Full Version : Is commercial pasta cooked before it is dried?
I've been cooking angel hair and then drying it. Am I cooking it twice? Is commercial pasta already cooked before being extruded?
The problem with my dried pasta is that it dries looking like Einstein's hair. I could get a lot more into a bear can from the package when it is nice and straight and compact. I also want to take a minimum of fuel and not cook every night and campfires aren't an option. I'm happy with cold pasta, parm cheese and salad dressing.
I know that ramen noodles can be eaten "raw". Can you take angel hair and soak it for 2-3 hours and eat it without boiling? Well, I know that you can... but is it a good idea?
Halloween
08-09-2014, 17:09
Commercial pasta is not cooked just dried at a low temperature. Before or after dehydrating the noodles can be broken up for easier packing. Barilla makes cut spaghetti that is great for making home made meals. Not sure it is available in your area.
Rocket Jones
08-09-2014, 18:38
My favorite for pasta on the trail is small elbow macaroni, cooked and dehydrated. Any small, thin pasta will work fine ala FBC style cooking.
HooKooDooKu
08-09-2014, 21:07
Have you tried looking for something called Pasta Portions (http://pasta-products-sangiorgio.newworldpasta.com/Pasta-Portions-Penne-ZX033400050542ZX30)? It seems to basically be like instant rice. Boils some water and the pasta is ready in 3 minutes. The link is to San Giorgio that I could find on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/San-Giorgio-Portions-Enriched-Macaroni/dp/B00H3T9LAQ), but our local Publix Super Markets recently carried the same thing in another name brand for a while.
Have you tried looking for something called Pasta Portions (http://pasta-products-sangiorgio.newworldpasta.com/Pasta-Portions-Penne-ZX033400050542ZX30)? It seems to basically be like instant rice. Boils some water and the pasta is ready in 3 minutes. The link is to San Giorgio that I could find on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/San-Giorgio-Portions-Enriched-Macaroni/dp/B00H3T9LAQ), but our local Publix Super Markets recently carried the same thing in another name brand for a while.
kroger in knoxville---at least the one in fountain city----carries this, i believe.....
its been a while since ive bought some but they had it maybe a year or so ago....
and it's pasta in a pouch.......just drop the bag into the boiling water and you're set......
Wise Old Owl
08-09-2014, 23:25
Ramen is soaked in oil - and has many here going ewww over the many posts. Honest it most likely delivers more calories. On the trail calories are king. Pasta out of the box has more nutrition than rice - I have tried several attempts at bird nest soaks & dries or boiling and throwing it on a dryer.. it's all a waste of time and effort. I have not seen in the 5-8 years here a good down and dirty system for pasta & meat balls or soft gravel worth sharing. I have had some ideas on pre-soak in water bottles etc, You might find something worthwhile on Tinney's site. There is someone out there that really has this figured out to get the least fuel to weight ratio & delicious... it's not me ...
Couscous can be eaten after only a soak, with no boil. Even 15 minutes will do it. (although more is better) And it is pretty space-efficient. I recommend it if you are trying to go stoveless. And for flavor, try those "Near East" meals that come with a spice pack.
WingedMonkey
08-10-2014, 09:34
I use to stockpile these oriental type noodle pasta until we started getting Asian markets here.
They cook in like one minute.
Sometimes I would just bring my reconstituted sauce to a boil and then add the noodles/pasta
28051
I was thinking of that one, being it has such a shorter cook time than most pastas.
I believe we have Ronzoni here, but all part of the same company.
thecyclops
08-10-2014, 12:34
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Is+commercial+pasta+cooked+before+it+is+dried%3 F
I googled it before posting, but I knew that I'd get good suggestions/alternatives posting here. :)
Unfortunately, I hate couscous. I don't know why. I'm not a picky eater. And it is just itty bitty pasta, really. I should like it. I've tried to make myself like it and tried various flavors. I also know that being outside won't make me like something I don't care for at home. Last time I made couscous was in Yosemite and for some reason my son and husband were not hungry and I had to choke down all 3 servings as I couldn't think of a way to satisfactory put it in the bear can. It was ghastly.
Thank you all for the suggestions! Some of those noodle suggestions look very promising!
I have had some ideas on pre-soak in water bottles etc, You might find something worthwhile on Tinney's site. There is someone out there that really has this figured out to get the least fuel to weight ratio & delicious... it's not me ... I have had a good experience with pre-soaking angel hair pasta. I soak it 2-3 hours and then bring water to boiling. It is ready to eat at boiling, but better if it sits 10 mins.
I've thought of experimenting with pre-soaking macaroni at home, but haven't gotten around to it.
Rocket Jones
08-10-2014, 14:21
You're not alone about couscous. It's one of those things that seems like you should like it, but I don't.