Cooking pasta in....not water?

[rodentraiser]

I was trying out a few mac and cheese recipes that involved cooking the pasta in milk. My next shot at it is going to be making a bechamel sauce and cooking the pasta in that. So far the mac and cheese experiments haven't gone as well as I wanted.

But I just found a recipe for cooking pasta right in with the spaghetti sauce and hamburger (plus a cup of beef broth). That turned out pretty good. And the best part was, I made a hamburger goulash using only one pot. Now that's something I can get on board with!

Are there any other instances where pasta can be cooked right along with the meal instead of cooking it in water first?

 

[Andy M.]

I make a mac and cheese recipe that uses one pot. Cook the pasta in just enough water to cover by an inch. Stir frequently while the pasta is cooking. Add evaporated milk and cheese to the water and pasta and stir to melt the cheese.

Quantities are based on the size of the evaporated milk can. A 5 ounce can of evap milk, 5 ounces of pasta and 5 ounces of shredded cheese.

 

[larry_stewart]

https://www.thewholesomedish.com/one-pot-wonder-chicken-lo-mein/

I made this a few years back several times ( now that Im on a low carbs diet, I haven't made it in awhile), But I remember it coming out better than I expected. I made a few modifications ( vegetarianizing it). Just remember had to keep stirring so pasta wouldn't stick.

There was another time I was watching Martha Stewart an Alan Alda was a guest and he made a pasta dish by mixing olive oil and uncooked ziti together , than dumping a can of tomatoes in with it, baking it, and that was it. ( I'm sure there was salt and spices) but I remember trying it and it was good, The pasta consistency was a little chewy ( not hard, just a little chewy) But I kinda liked it that way , It was different.

This might be it ( I remember it was a Martha Stewart thing ( with Alan Alda as the guest). I tried that link and its unavailable, but I seemed to have saved this link also and this one works. Im sure you can play with the spices to personalize it to your taste

https://www.food.com/recipe/easy-baked-pasta-187246

 

[caseydog]

I have seen a number of one-pot pasta recipes on YouTube over the years. I have never actually tried any of them. The Martha Stewart video is on YouTube.

CD

 

[Cooking Goddess]

This has been sitting in my folder of "someday suppers...", but I haven't tried any yet. Maybe this can help you, rr.

https://tasty.co/article/emofly/one-pot-pastas#.smEwdknOM

 

[Andy M.]

I'll bet if you google one pot pasta recipes, you'll get a ton.

 

[larry_stewart]

In general, the few that Ive tried have been better than I expected. DOnt have as much control of the pasta consistency ( or the consistency of the veggies either). Basically, when the pasta is done , the dish is done. So following a recipe relatively precisely would be recommended just from a consistency and cooking time point of view.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This is actualy an easy question to answer. Lasagna can be made by laying down a layer of wet sauce on the pan bpttom, topping it with dry noodles, then the other ingredients. Then, more sauce, more filligs, more noodles, and so on until the pan is full. The sause must be very runny for this to work.

As the lasagna bakes, the dry noodlrs absorb the eater from the simmerig sauce, and hydrate, giving that cooked and tender lasana noodle we all love.

Spaghetti is often made by placing the dry noodlrs into a roasting pan covered with a wet sauce, and cherse. Again, the dry noodlrs absrb the extra liquid.

All noodles are similar, especialy those made from wheat flour. And will absorb wate frim the sauce. I wouldn't try to let a Bechemel try to soften pasta as I don't belive it has enough water in it.

Hot fat won't soften pasta
Only water will do that.

In many parts of Italy, pasta is the star of the meal, and the sauce isixed in as a sesoning to thr cooked pasta.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[rodentraiser]

Interesting posts! Thank you everyone!

 

[CraigC]

I add dry pasta to soups. Same with rice when used in soup.

 

[Kayelle]

The idea of a one pot pasta dinner happened when "Hamburger Helper" was invented in the '70's. It's still ok for people without imagination or any cooking skill.

Like Andy mentioned, there are dozens of recipes out there. I made this just the other night, and it was really good...


Skillet Penne Pasta and Sausage Supper

1 T olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
8-oz penne, 2 1/2 c
2 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
(1) 5-oz bag baby spinach
1 oz Parmesan, grated, 1/2 c
pepper


Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion and 1/2 t salt and cook until softened, about 5 min.

Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 min.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne evenly over the sausage. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

[GotGarlic]

Except for tiny pastas like orzo and ditalini, I usually cook rice and pasta separately and add some to each serving of soup. Otherwise, if there are any leftovers, the starch soaks up the rest of the broth.

 

[Kayelle]

Except for tiny pastas like orzo and ditalini, I usually cook rice and pasta separately and add some to each serving of soup. Otherwise, if there are any leftovers, the starch soaks up the rest of the broth.

I agree...^ I do the same for even orzo. I always have leftover soup, and there's nothing worse than being left with no liquid soup, only pasta.

 

[rodentraiser]

Kayelle, that sounds a lot like the goulash thing I made last week, except I used hamburger. It turned out really good, too.

GG, I've been doing that with Rice-a-Roni. I get the cheesy Rice-a-Roni and use two boxes to a pound of hamburger. I cook the hamburger first and then just toss in the rice and vermilion. It works out just fine.

I've started using two jars of spaghetti sauce per pound of hamburger now because I noticed I never seemed to have enough sauce. Two jars seems like a lot in the pot, but it works out perfectly once everything is done.

 

[GotGarlic]

GG, I've been doing that with Rice-a-Roni. I get the cheesy Rice-a-Roni and use two boxes to a pound of hamburger. I cook the hamburger first and then just toss in the rice and vermilion. It works out just fine.

I was responding to Craig who mentioned cooking rice and pasta in soup. When you're making a Hamburger Helper type dish, you don't want a lot of extra liquid, but when you're making soup, you do.

 

[taxlady]

Adding cooked rice or pasta to soup is an excellent idea. It works for barley too. I once cooked the barley in the soup and got a barley and beef stew. It was good, but not what we were hoping for.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Adding cooked rice or pasta to soup is an excellent idea. It works for barley too. I once cooked the barley in the soup and got a barley and beef stew. It was good, but not what we were hoping for.

I can relate. I added rolled barley to a turkey soup I was making from a turkey carcass. I had never used rolled barley before, and found the texture to be the same as rolled oats. I put too much barley in the soup and had a wonderful tasting barley porridge. It wasn't what I was hoping to achieve either.

I feel like posting my Dad's version of American goulash, but have already put it in another post. I miss my Dad, and his cooking. I also miss my Mom, and her cooking. I make many things that they didn't, and virtually everything that they made. But what they made was top shelf. Rarely have I had better.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North