Re: Cooking pasta in sauce

[Giusi]

You do it and like it, fine. Just do not serve it to me. There are 100 reasons why it's a bad idea, IMO, but if your sauce is watery enough to cook pasta, maybe my reasons won't hold water.

[Owain]

On May 14, 4:48 am, Philip wrote:
> I suppose this is a bad idea is it?
>
> Or is it just another " conventional cooking " myth.
>
> If I'm simmering my tomato sauce for 15 minutes, why not!
>
> The pasta can then absorb the flavours in the sauce rather than
> tasting of.... boiled water?

It's no different from cooking lasagne or any other pasta in a baked
pasta dish.

If it's dry pasta I usually part-cook in boiling water (say 7 mins for
10-min pasta) then drain and add soup for pasta in brodo.

Owain

[vi...@dinky.vm.bytemark.co.uk]

Philip <n...@there.com> wrote:
> I suppose this is a bad idea is it?
>
> Or is it just another " conventional cooking " myth.

Why not? Surely it's just the same as making lasagne ...

[Tim C.]

On Tue, 14 May 2013 04:48:45 +0100, Philip wrote in post :
<news:95c3p8509r6t6fq38...@4ax.com> :

> I suppose this is a bad idea is it?
>
> Or is it just another " conventional cooking " myth.
>

> If I'm simmering my tomato sauce for 15 minutes, why not!
>
> The pasta can then absorb the flavours in the sauce rather than
> tasting of.... boiled water?
>

> Give me one good reason...

I can't think of one, except that I /guess/ the pasta might disintegrate.
--
Tim C. Linz, Austria.

[Sacha]

The type of pasta you're cooking would make a difference, I would
think. Some of the thicker, ribbed pastas might take longer so by the
time they're cooked, your sauce is ruined. Or by the time the sauce is
ready the pasta isn't. On top of that, the pasta would take on the
dominant note of the sauce and perhaps miss out on the flavour of
anything else that's added. And it would have to be a very sloppy
sauce to cook the pasta at all, which I find unappealing. And how are
you going to reduce it with a thicker pasta in it? Lasagne is very thin
so cooks relatively quickly but even then, I make more bechamel and a
'wetter' ragu than recipes sometimes suggest. In the end, I trust the
Italians to do best what they've done for hundreds of years!
--

Sacha
South Devon

[Phil Cook]

On 14/05/2013 12:43, Mike.. . . . wrote:
> Following a post by Philip

>
>> If I'm simmering my tomato sauce for 15 minutes, why not!
>

> I reckon that simmering pasta in t sauce for 15 minutes might be
> frighteningly similar to Heinz spaghetti hoops in the pasta
> consistency, the upside being you can serve it on toast.:-)

I've done pasta in sauce when camping in a one pot style. You do it
just long enough to be done to taste. The sauce starts off more watery
than you would make it separately and the pasta absorbs it until it is
done.
--
Phil Cook

[Tim C.]

On Tue, 14 May 2013 12:43:13 +0100, Mike.. . . . wrote in post :
<news:jn84p8prievafpkd9...@4ax.com> :

> the upside being you can serve it on toast.:-)

+1

[Ophelia]

"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d7l4p8h0hdm8d0fen...@4ax.com...
> Following a post by Phil Cook

>
>>I've done pasta in sauce when camping in a one pot style.
>

> I've done it when camping with grass instead of basil :-)

... I daren't ask.
--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Ophelia]

"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:fbp4p8pklv9uvt52r...@4ax.com...
> Following a post by Ophelia

>
>>> I've done it when camping with grass instead of basil :-)
>>
>>... I daren't ask.
>

> I knocked the pan over and had to recover the meal from the ground, I
> also forgot to pack the eating irons.

lol btdt ... well except for the bit about the eating irons:)) So, do tell,
once you had recovered it, how did you eat it? Just slurped it?

--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Ophelia]

"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:v005p89tpnmen6cno...@4ax.com...

> Following a post by Ophelia
>

>> So, do tell,
>>once you had recovered it, how did you eat it? Just slurped it?
>

> I suggested I could find a sheep bone and make spoons, which went down
> badly. So we tried to use the foil packets as spoons* without much
> success, in the end we used our fingers and drinking like dogs and
> cats, bit messy and undignified but we didn't go hungry. It was too
> cold to not eat. We came down and had a pub lunch, you can never
> appreciate cutlery the way we did that lunchtime. Its like when you
> have an "epic" its a bit much at the time but do you feel *good* when
> you get down. Assuming you do of course :-)
>
> *my Swiss army knife, no spoon!

lol well you survived and didn't starve, which is a 'good thing' <tm> :))
All good stuff eh? :) Heck all part of camping:) Been along time since I
did it but I still have fond memories:) I go the wimpy route now, big
caravan with proper cooker, fridge, shower, etc:)) Oi loikes me comfort
now:))
--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[vi...@dinky.vm.bytemark.co.uk]

Mike.. . . . <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> also forgot to pack the eating irons.

Took me ages to work out what you meant and that you weren't de-creasing
your pasta. (Very flat lasagne, anyone?)

[Ophelia]

<vi...@dinky.vm.bytemark.co.uk> wrote in message
news:avflbb...@mid.individual.net...

<g>

--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Giusi]

Not in a single detail, starting with lasagne is baked. Most cook lasagne slightly, at least, before assembling, anyway, even when using fresh pasta, because the pasta is easier to handle and the pasta will remain distinct. Pasta tastes like pasta. It's supposed to. If one doesn't like the taste, try another ingredient, like cabbage or potato.

[Tim C.]

On Tue, 14 May 2013 16:15:35 +0100, Mike.. . . . wrote in post :
<news:d7l4p8h0hdm8d0fen...@4ax.com> :

> Following a post by Phil Cook
>

>>I've done pasta in sauce when camping in a one pot style.
>

> I've done it when camping with grass instead of basil :-)

Moroccan or Gower Peninsular?

[Ophelia]

"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:2vg6p85bj4oatqm2d...@4ax.com...

> Following a post by Ophelia
>

>> Heck all part of camping:) Been along time since I
>>did it but I still have fond memories:) I go the wimpy route now, big
>>caravan with proper cooker, fridge, shower, etc:))
>

> I tried that but pulling a caravan up mountains was problematic :-) I
> only tend to camp where you need to, either Scottish hills with long
> walk ins, or in the Lakes to be on the tops at dawn or dusk, when in
> theory you watch a sunset, shooting stars and a sunrise but in
> practice usually hill fog. However, when it works it's magic. I
> remember waking up to a temperature inversion with all the clouds
> below me. In more recent years I have found doing an easy
> ascent/descent route in the dark by head torch less arduous than
> packing a tent all day.

We don't walk any more, but you brought back some lovely memories:) Unless
we are away with work, we tend to stay around Yorkshire where we have
storage for our caravan. We did mostly Scotland for many years and we have
a cottage in Moray so we spend time there anyway when we can. Work doesn't
half bugger up plans:( We were supposed to be going up this week ...
--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Phil C.]

On 14/05/2013 04:48, Philip wrote:
> I suppose this is a bad idea is it?
>
> Or is it just another " conventional cooking " myth.
>

> If I'm simmering my tomato sauce for 15 minutes, why not!
>

> The pasta can then absorb the flavours in the sauce rather than
> tasting of.... boiled water?
>
> Give me one good reason...

Sauce sticks to pasta because of the reduction - giving it a high oil
content. Achieving desired reduction and perfect pasta in the same pot
would be almost impossible. Watery pasta sauces are horrible IMHO.
(Asian noodles, though, need very little cooking and very little water,
so good timing would be easier, I suppose.)
--
Phil C.

[Tim C.]

On Wed, 15 May 2013 11:55:16 +0200, Martin wrote in post :
<news:sqm6p8tnqu37bj1pu...@4ax.com> :

> Synthetic: Astro turf or Dutch blend?

Cough cough!

[Ophelia]

"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:pgm6p8pjmhvm5ia1l...@4ax.com...

> Following a post by Ophelia
>

>>We don't walk any more, but you brought back some lovely memories:)
>

> We cannot do anything at the moment but hope to get back to the canal
> tow paths, nice and flat.

Good luck!

--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Ophelia]

"Martin" <m...@address.invalid> wrote in message
news:chq6p85g5ib0e9uvh...@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 15 May 2013 11:42:43 +0100, "Ophelia"
> <Oph...@elsinore.me.ku.invalid> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>"Mike.. . . ." <junkfo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:pgm6p8pjmhvm5ia1l...@4ax.com...
>>> Following a post by Ophelia
>>>
>>>>We don't walk any more, but you brought back some lovely memories:)
>>>
>>> We cannot do anything at the moment but hope to get back to the canal
>>> tow paths, nice and flat.
>

> Except at each lock.
> Don't trip over the dog crap.

Ugh:( I ALWAYS pick up and those that don't need to have their faces
rubbed in it!!!

--
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

[Giusi]

Science. You can rehydrate the flour overnight in warm water on a radiator, but it won't cook. Abundant boiling water cooks it.

[Hankjam]

On Tue, 14 May 2013 04:48:45 +0100, Philip <n...@there.com> wrote:

>I suppose this is a bad idea is it?
>
>Or is it just another " conventional cooking " myth.
>
>If I'm simmering my tomato sauce for 15 minutes, why not!
>
>The pasta can then absorb the flavours in the sauce rather than
>tasting of.... boiled water?
>
>Give me one good reason...

Boiling pasta is a pleasing part of cooking

It's been cooked in boiling water for some time now...

Baked Lasagne, without cooking the pasta in boiling water, is just
plain bonkers... it might save time but so would buying a Findus
Lasagne..

Hj