FOOD NEWS
Soak Dried Pasta Before Adding To Boiling Water To Reduce Cooking Time
BY JAVARIA AKBAR
To shave down cooking times, and save a little money in the process, soak dried pasta before adding it to boiling water. This can slash the cooking time by more than half.
The noodles don't cook as they sit in the water, but swell as they absorb the liquid. Since no heat is applied, the starch isn't activated, so the pieces won't stick together.
Simply toss your noodles in a bowl of room-temperature water and soak them for up to two hours. Your pasta should be pliable and soft without slightly translucent edges.
Once you add the pasta to boiling water, it’ll only need to be boiled for a minute or so to heat it through. Alternatively, you can add it directly to a pan of simmering sauce.
Soaking will work with any variety of pasta, but keep in mind that each will take different amounts of time depending on the overall thickness of the noodles.