Like most of America, one of my go-to quick fix meals is spaghetti or pasta of some kind. But, truth be told, by the time I get the water boiling and the pasta cooked, it ends up not being that quick. I knew there had to be a way to hasten the process, but just didn't know exactly how.
Then, a revelation. After watching a Food Network show about restaurant cooking, I noticed that many restaurant chefs actually precooked their noodles, then cooked the sauce while reheating the noodles. I tried the method a few times, and could not believe how much it revolutionized my cooking life! Since you don't cook the noodles all the way, they don't get gummy or leftover tasting, and you can heat up as much or as little as you'd like. This is an especially easy way to get a quick meal on the table on days you'll be home late, or won't have much time to eat. I cook up a pound of pasta at the beginning of the week so I'll always have some at the ready. So, here it is! The Best Time-Saving Cooking Tip EVER!
1. First, earlier in the day or a couple days before you're going to have the pasta, boil a pound of noodles according to "al dente" package directions. Make sure it still has a little bite to it...you don't want the noodles to be overcooked. Drain pasta. Add a pat of butter and stir around until combined. Let noodles cool, and add to a container. (A 13"x9" pan holds about a pound of pasta.) Refrigerate until needed.
2. When you're going to use the pasta, heat a few tablespoons of water until boiling in a skillet (takes about 30 seconds on medium heat), then add desired amount of noodles and stir them around a little to heat them up and keep them from sticking (another 30 seconds). Once the noodles are loosened and starting to heat up, go to step 3.
3. Add desired amount of sauce (it doesn't have to be heated up. It can either be refrigerated or jarred), and stir to combine. Cook noodles with sauce until both are warm (between 1-2 minutes). Serve with fresh parmesan or any desired toppings!
Using this cooking tip, you can cook noodles ahead of time when you're not too busy, then reheat them quickly. The entire process takes around 2 minutes, and you don't get that leftover, gummy, or harsh taste of reheated food. I think we'll be eating a lot more spaghetti now :)
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we do this with rice too!
ReplyDeleteso cool! I was actually wondering how restaurants time cooking pasta, this make so much sense!
ReplyDeletegreat tip!! do i have to use the butter??
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to use the butter; they just keep the noodles from sticking. Maybe try a little olive oil for the same effect, but healthier :)
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