583856 Tue Dec 30 10:40:15 -0800 2008 53 31 Home Cooking 0 4283139 A friend who is not a good cook insists that it is unnecessary to keep the water boiling. She brings water to a boil, adds the pasta, and once the water returns to boiling, stirs it, covers it, and turns off the burner, setting the timer for the minutes specified on the package. Skeptically, I tried this with a pound of rotini, and it worked perfectly, without any boil-over. Of course, the shape of rotini makes them unlikely to stick together - although my friend says her spaghetti doesn't clump when cooked this way, either. Not using extra electricity or gas is a plus, as is less kitchen heat in hot weather. I am also thinking that the pasta pot could "multi-task" by simultaneously making pasta and hard-boiled eggs. Tue Dec 30 10:40:16 -0800 2008 159317 greygarious 1 4283158 If this works with spaghetti etc. sign me up! I just got my gas bill and I nearly had a heart attack. Tue Dec 30 10:45:21 -0800 2008 4283139 220914 krisrishere 2 4288953 Kris, I made Pasta Carbonara today using three jumbo eggs, frozen peas, Italian parsley, Pancetta, shallots, Philadelphia Cream Cheese Ronzoni Brand Thin Spaghetti. Directions call for 9-11 minutes cooking time, depending on how you like your pasta.....Yes I know this is not a traditional recipe,,,but I did not have enough Parmigiano Reggiano in the house....and I needed to use up the items left over from the holidays. Boiled the water....added the pasta....returned to boil .....turned off stove, a quick stir of the pasta and covered for 10 minutes......removed pasta without any sticking and added it to the mixture....tossed and served perfectly. There was still enough heat to cook the egg and coat the pasta....this was done about 3:00 PM and it's now midnight with no ill effects....from undercooked eggs. I will cook my pasta with this method from now on...I am a convert. I started Thu Jan 01 21:08:21 -0800 2009 4283158 123497 fourunder 3 4289468 That's great! I will try it out this weekend! Thank you. Fri Jan 02 07:38:15 -0800 2009 4288953 220914 krisrishere 1 4283199 Greygarious: I remember that technique from years ago, and while I used to employ it, I can't remember why I stopped. It may warrant a revisit. Certainly, at the very least, you can multitask the water. I've seen veggies thrown in to the pot with the pasta, i.e., broccoli or green beans for a pasta dish. But I start my eggs in cold water, bring to boil, turn off, time. Maybe you could do the eggs first, take out, use the same water, bring to a second boil, salt, add pasta, time. You'd at least have a head start on the water being close to a boil. Tue Dec 30 11:00:44 -0800 2008 4283139 84890 nemo 2 4284038 Nemo, I do HB eggs the same way - so all this would mean is adding the pasta to the pot once it's boiling, and since it only takes a moment to return to a boil, the eggs and pasta would be sitting together with the burner off for almost the same amount of time. Usually the eggs need a few minutes longer - instead of pouring off the water I'd scoop the pasta out with a spider or a spaghetti tong. Supposedly adding salt to the water for HB eggs means if an egg cracks it will seal shut quickly rather than trailiing a lot of white, so that part also dovetails nicely with cooking pasta. GHG, I've done eggs and then returned the water to a boil after removing them, then cooked pasta or other things, like soup stock, in that water and never detected any off odors or tastes. Tue Dec 30 15:39:10 -0800 2008 4283199 159317 greygarious 3 4284360 every single time i make hard-cooked eggs (and i make them quite frequently) i notice a residual odor that clings to the pot after i dump out the water...and it's not a scent i'd like to have mingling with any other food. then again, i have a sense of smell like a bloodhound, so i detect even the faintest odors that most people would never notice. it's wonderful for the palate, but can also be a nuisance in certain situations - like at the gym ;) Tue Dec 30 17:56:35 -0800 2008 4284038 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 4285075 By any chance do you use an aluminum pan? (Somehow I seriously doubt that!) I boil eggs in stainless steel lined copper and haven't noticed any residual odor, and I have a nose from hell! However, when I cool my eggs I always do it by putting the pan in the sink and running cold water to displace the hot, then adding ice. Maybe I'm washing all of the odor away? As for the original question of whether pasta cooks in less than boiling temperature water, yes, it does. And it's an effective means of preventing boil-over in a full pot. But you cannot use the cooking time on a past package, but have to rely on the traditional tasting method of biting the pasta with your teeth.. Wed Dec 31 05:39:38 -0800 2008 4284360 112096 Caroline1 5 4286025 Caroline, maybe you are washing it away! i typically drain the eggs off in a strainer and then transfer them immediately to an ice bath that i've already prepared. the cooling time gives me a chance to tackle the pot with a soapy sponge and hot water ASAP, because i can't stand the smell! oh, and i've used uncoated stainless and coated non-stick pots. doesn't make a difference - they all stink. Wed Dec 31 11:40:14 -0800 2008 4285075 103920 goodhealthgourmet 6 4286069 LOL! So now I'm wondering if there is an odor in this world I'm not overly aware of? YAY! Either that, or how old did you say your eggs are when you boil them? Aging eggs is supposed to make them easier to peel. '-) Wed Dec 31 11:56:17 -0800 2008 4286025 112096 Caroline1 7 4286110 i do usually reserve older eggs for hard-cooking to make the peeling easier...but i don't always remember to stock up in advance to let them "age" so occasionally i have to use really fresh ones. those reek too :) Wed Dec 31 12:14:18 -0800 2008 4286069 103920 goodhealthgourmet 8 4286267 i have a very sensitive sense of smell also and cannot tolerate commercial eggs for this reason. organic free-range eggs don't have that same odor. Wed Dec 31 13:24:49 -0800 2008 4286110 30273 hotoynoodle 9 4286356 hmmm... Because of allergies, I have to restrict my eggs to organic free range. Could that be why I'm not aware of an odor? But as GHG says, I probably wash it away with my cold water displacement and ice bath. Wed Dec 31 13:50:41 -0800 2008 4286267 112096 Caroline1 9 4286357 i only use organic eggs, and they still stink! Wed Dec 31 13:51:04 -0800 2008 4286267 103920 goodhealthgourmet 10 4303962 Organic vs not has 110% zero effect on whether or not eggs will have a smell. I think we've lost the subject here. It was never explicitly stated, but I think the concern was the fact that if you cooked eggs and pasta in the same pot, would it negatively affect the pasta flavor. Wed Jan 07 09:21:30 -0800 2009 4286357 42270 HaagenDazs 4 4285992 try rubbing the pot with lemon and then re-wash Wed Dec 31 11:25:52 -0800 2008 4284360 204342 FriedClamFanatic 5 4286017 oh, removing the odor after i'm finished isn't the issue - a thorough washing takes care of it. my point was that i wouldn't want that odor to cling to any other foods, were i to cook something in the pot along with the eggs, or re-use the water to boil something after. Wed Dec 31 11:36:33 -0800 2008 4285992 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 4294542 Could you not cook the eggs in a bag and eliminate the chance of smell or flavor getting out? Sun Jan 04 08:58:43 -0800 2009 4284360 137946 Scargod 5 4296053 that's a solution...but honestly i'm so used to it now, it's par for the course - i just don't breathe through my nose until i'm finished washing the pot ;) seriously though, i'd rarely have a need for the water to do double duty - i can't eat pasta, and on the rare occasion that i'm blanching veggies, i'm not usually hard-cooking eggs at the same time. one of these days i may try it just for kicks though. Sun Jan 04 18:37:18 -0800 2009 4294542 103920 goodhealthgourmet 6 4296767 One pot cooking, blanched vegetables, noodles and deviled eggs well under half an hour. How did the Top Chef contestants not think of this one? ;-) Mon Jan 05 05:15:25 -0800 2009 4296053 39874 chowser 7 4847784 i've cooked boiled eggs and potatoes in the same pot for potato salad. it was ok, but the timing is weird.... Fri Jul 10 16:29:13 -0700 2009 4296767 105717 alkapal 1 4283223 i'm all for multi-tasking and saving energy, but personally, i wouldn't re-use water from cooking eggs, or cook anything else in the pot with them...unless you want the musty odor of eggshells (or possibly sulfur) in your food. Tue Dec 30 11:07:57 -0800 2008 4283139 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 4283296 I make my rice in a similar fashion--cold water to 1 pinkie nail above top of rice, bring to boil, cover, remove from stove, and let sit 20 minutes. Works every time with no burnt rice on the bottom (you must, however, use a well-fitted lid or a liner, ie paper towel if your lid isn't fitted). While I've done this with pasta, it's usually only for stuffed, dried pasta for the kids. Or for a fast personal snack when I want gooey, over-cooked pasta (which I would never serve to guests). It's harder to cook to al dente with this method. To prevent boil-over, have you tried using a cast-iron pan (larger than the bottom of your pasta pot) underneath? It will provide for even heating which can prevent boil over. Tue Dec 30 11:31:08 -0800 2008 4283139 224238 Caralien 1 4284156 Okay, I admit I was a skeptic but decided to try this tonight. It worked perfectly. No sticky noodles, al dente. I heard it almost boil over so I lifted the pot a second until it stopped and then put it back on the burner w/ residual heat. With boiled eggs, though, I remove the pan from the burner altogether once it comes to a boil and I do a soft boil so I couldn't do eggs at the same time. Isn't this the idea of the Pasta Express? I remember seeing an infomercial on it. http://www.pastaexpress.tv/ Tue Dec 30 16:33:42 -0800 2008 4283139 39874 chowser 2 4284192 What shape of pasta did you try? Tue Dec 30 16:46:12 -0800 2008 4284156 159317 greygarious 3 4284243 Rotini, also, whole wheat which I find tends to stick more. But, it wasn't at all sticky so I believe it would work for all shapes. Tue Dec 30 17:06:32 -0800 2008 4284192 39874 chowser 2 4303830 I was going to buy the pasta express when it was on clearance at a store for $2 but it looked so CHEAP and flimsy like it would totally fall apart. Plus the sales lady was skeptical about it working too.. the reviews on it were terrible. Wouldn't recommend it. I need to try this method though, sounds interesting. Wed Jan 07 08:51:20 -0800 2009 4284156 224081 BamiaWruz 3 4303881 The pasta express is an abomination and goes against pretty much every rec on how to properly cook pasta (i.e. lots of water). turning off the heat and covering is definitely different. The pasta will just take a little longer to cook Wed Jan 07 09:03:16 -0800 2009 4303830 124339 bnemes3343 2 4303921 What happpened to the "Fasta Pasta" posts? I mean, just because I posted a picture of a whip! http://www.fastapastacooker.com/ Does this thing work? Wed Jan 07 09:12:53 -0800 2009 4284156 137946 Scargod 3 4303939 Oh this one goes in the microwave.. never tried it. I still make my pasta in the microwave, it turns out great.. just need a microwave safe bowl, a lot of water and then you put the pasta in with salt and let it microwave. Wed Jan 07 09:16:35 -0800 2009 4303921 224081 BamiaWruz 1 4285089 Interesting. I'm making rigatoni for the family tomorrow night and am tempted to try this. I would imagine that if you cover the pot once you turn off the burner, the temp of the water wouldn't fall that much in the 10 - 12 minutes it takes to cook. In fact, if I try this I will take the temp of the water at the end and report how much it has fallen. I imagine it would be difficult for me not to want to give it a stir once or twice though during the cooking. Wed Dec 31 05:46:54 -0800 2008 4283139 124339 bnemes3343 1 4285092 if one uses enough water clumping, sticking, and boiling over ought not be issues in the 1st place Wed Dec 31 05:48:42 -0800 2008 4283139 135229 thew 1 4285610 I do almost the opposite. I bring the water to a boil. Add pasta. Leave pot uncovered and bring to a boil again. Add a cup of cold water. Leave pot uncovered and bring to another boil. Remove pasta. Eat. Enjoy. Wed Dec 31 09:02:47 -0800 2008 4283139 11583 ipsedixit 2 4294539 Ah but you've used more energy! Please explain why the adding of cold water? Why not just continue to cook for a little longer? Sun Jan 04 08:55:40 -0800 2009 4285610 137946 Scargod 1 4285784 I start with a boil, then simmer. It allows me to do the other dinner prep--and I adjust the heat depending on how behind I am with the rest of the meal! (I think restaurants par-cook their spaghetti, then drop it into hot water to serve.) Wed Dec 31 10:04:06 -0800 2008 4283139 10309 Funwithfood 2 4285891 Clearly they do, and it irks me that at so many places if you don't specifically request well-drained, you get pasta in soup rather than sauce....it should be obvious that it shouldn't be plated without a few seconds to drain first. Wed Dec 31 10:52:08 -0800 2008 4285784 159317 greygarious 1 4286998 I'm with your friend in cooking pasta (and maybe in being"not a good cook"). Depending on the type of pasta, covering it may not be necessary. It's nice to be able to use a strainer to scoop out the pasta that hasn't been drained and cooled once already. I like to use the water for more than one purpose, but usually not for eggs (though I cook my soft-boiled eggs in the same way). But I do tend to use the water first to blanch beet greens, spinach, carrots...what have you, and then after those veggies come out, in goes the pasta. Wed Dec 31 20:25:08 -0800 2008 4283139 10422 HLing 2 4303846 Same here with the veg, it's a great way to multi-task. Wed Jan 07 08:53:54 -0800 2009 4286998 224081 BamiaWruz 1 4289480 Last night I made a pount of celentani (corkscrew-shaped) using only a 3-quart pot. The package said 6 minutes. I let it sit in the hot water for 9-10 minutes once I turned off the electric burner. At that point, the water level was well below the top of the pasta, but each piece was uniformly cooked, with no clumping. After draining I rinsed the pasta in cold water to prevent further cooking. Perfect results, despite the smaller amount of cooking water. Fri Jan 02 07:45:26 -0800 2009 4283139 159317 greygarious 2 4289530 rinsing pasta is really onyl good if you are going to make a baked pasta, or serving it w/ no sauce. the starch you rinse off aids in sauce sticking to the pasta Fri Jan 02 08:13:16 -0800 2009 4289480 135229 thew 3 4289644 In this case I'd left the pasta in the water longer than I'd intended to, so I wanted to cool it down pronto. Also, because there was so little unabsorbed water left in the pot - probably only a quart - it was quite pasty and opaque, and I wanted to get rid of it since I was going to refrigerate the unsauced pasta which I won't be using till later today. I think it would have caused the pasta to clump badly when chilled plain. However, if I had planned to use it right away, with a thinnish sauce, that probably would have been a very good thing....I will keep it in mind to use the smaller amount of boiling water when my goal is to maximize the sauce's ability to adhere to the pasta. Fri Jan 02 08:53:22 -0800 2009 4289530 159317 greygarious 1 4295060 Eggs can have salmonella on the shells, which does not permeate the egg so they are OK to eat - but the water they are boiled in should not be used for anything else. Or that's what I've heard, anyway. I cook pasta by bringing to the boil and turning off - but it only works with reasonably thin pasta. For thicker pastas I am adding a sauce too, I drain the undercooked pasta, add the sauce with a little extra water, bring to the boil, stir, turn off and cover. After a few minutes the pasta has finished cooking and has soaked up a lot of the sauce (I don't like a lot of runny sauce on my pasta). Sun Jan 04 12:21:22 -0800 2009 4283139 40746 Peg 2 4303625 Except water boils at 212F (simmers around 190F) and that is well above the temperature to kill any salmonella on the shell. Wed Jan 07 07:53:18 -0800 2009 4295060 139219 Sooeygun 1 4300895 I start my pasta in cold water, put a lid on so it comes to a boil faster, stir and check a couple of times during the process, turn heat down once it's boiling, simmer for a while, and leave in pot with lid on. I like to take some out with a slotted spoon at the al dente stage, and let the rest sit a bit longer. Sometimes I forget to get it out at the right time, but it's never mushy. Tue Jan 06 10:46:55 -0800 2009 4283139 211115 neverlate 1 4302782 Russ Parsons has a piece in this week's LA Times food section about the weeknight convenience of dried pasta, and he cooks his broccoli & pasta together in the water... http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-pasta7-2009jan07,0,979587.story Tue Jan 06 20:30:50 -0800 2009 4283139 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 4302894 hmmm... For me, broccoli has turned into the "repeat food," but I am thinking maybe next time I'm winging it with a pasta dish, why not drop a few cloves of garlic in the pot to give the pasta some extra flavor? Past boiled in garlic water, then served dressed with evoo or butter and some pecorino curls might be pretty good. Tue Jan 06 21:25:50 -0800 2009 4302782 112096 Caroline1 2 4303351 I've always done that, because I'm too lazy to wash more pots. Why don't people cook pasta in stock? It might waste stock but could make good pasta. Wed Jan 07 06:11:33 -0800 2009 4302782 39874 chowser 3 4303859 SO's mother does that, pasta and ravioli. Wed Jan 07 08:57:38 -0800 2009 4303351 224081 BamiaWruz 3 4847795 i've cooked perciatelli in the water in which i'd just boiled shrimp. it was very good. Fri Jul 10 16:33:15 -0700 2009 4303351 105717 alkapal 2 4303489 As chowser and Caroline have suggested, I have put a little "Better Than Bouillon" and toasted garlic granules in my water, along with the salt and olive oil. Using a sachet, you could add stems from cilantro, tough artichoke leaves and stems, old bones, a hot pepper, etc. I'm thinking about getting this: http://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Spice-Ball-Herb-Infuser/dp/B000ROGNQO Wed Jan 07 07:06:03 -0800 2009 4302782 137946 Scargod 2 4303586 I cook broccoli and cauliflower in the pasta water before I cook the pasta, just use a slotted spoon to remove it. I wouldn't do them at the same time because I'd think that would overcook the vegetables. Then cook the pasta and saute the broccoli and cauliflower in oil with garlic and chili. Add the pasta when it's done, toss and sprinkle with cheese. Very easy and fast weeknight dinner right there. Wed Jan 07 07:39:39 -0800 2009 4302782 14139 Kagey 1 4303858 i'm still not sure what the advantage is here over boiling one's pasta Wed Jan 07 08:57:13 -0800 2009 4283139 135229 thew 2 4304116 energy savings Wed Jan 07 09:50:52 -0800 2009 4303858 39874 chowser 1 4303968 For many years, I cooked on a small sailboat. The last thing anyone on a moving/rocking boat wants is boiling water splashing around and we're very careful with our limited fuel supply. Pasta and rice were always cooked this way (bring water to a boil, add pasta/rice, cover and wait). I had a gimbeled stove and tied down the covered pasta pot with a bungee cord. It worked perfectly - no burns and great pasta. A bluewater sailor shared this method with me and I never looked back. Disclosure: for some bizarre reason, I never transferred this method to the home stove??????? and will set about to remedy that ASAP. Wed Jan 07 09:22:37 -0800 2009 4283139 15743 Sherri