How to Cook Pasta Without Boiling Water

Published on Thursday, February 11, 2010, by Caitlin McGrath / Edit Post

Does pasta really need to be cooked in boiling water? While the conventional wisdom says yes, some hounds contend that it makes sense to cook pasta in a more flavorful liquid, such as stock or even the sauce you plan to serve with the pasta. "By cooking in sauce or stock," says bushwickgirl, "you're enhancing the flavor of a rather bland product."

Many hounds use regular dried noodles in lasagne without pre-cooking, and find it works fine as long as they add a bit more sauce than usual. Cooking pasta in sauce on the stovetop takes a bit more finesse in order to ensure it cooks evenly and the sauce doesn't stick. You'll need to dilute your sauce a bit so it doesn't get too thick as the pasta absorbs liquid, and you must stir often. The method works best with short and small pasta shapes, according to bushwickgirl. cinnamon girl has made skillet lasagne this way with good results.

Another approach is to cook pasta as you would risotto, gradually adding small amounts of liquid and allowing the pasta to absorb it, as in this absorption pasta and Alain Ducasse's olive mill pasta. "You can do it equally well with a tomato-based sauce" as with stock, says rainey. "It's a unique method and works quite well."

Discuss: Why cook pasta in water and not the sauce?

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POST A COMMENT |3 Comments

COMMENT

  • The "no boil" lasagna is actually pretty good if you boil it for a couple of minutes then drop in cold water bath to sit while you assemble the lasagna. It definitely is better than just using straight out of the box ad the cold water keeps them from sticking together.

  • You guys are losing it...relax and simplify.

  • Not always necessary. I have a dish I call "Sommer Pasta," because it contains "sommer" this and "sommer" that. It usually starts with a quat of my own canned tomatoes and the juice. It also has other veg high in water content such as yellow and green squash. Once the liquid has cooked out of them I add the pasta...usually penne or elbows. The pasta soaks up the liquid as it cooks.

    Now it...+READ

    Not always necessary. I have a dish I call "Sommer Pasta," because it contains "sommer" this and "sommer" that. It usually starts with a quat of my own canned tomatoes and the juice. It also has other veg high in water content such as yellow and green squash. Once the liquid has cooked out of them I add the pasta...usually penne or elbows. The pasta soaks up the liquid as it cooks.

    Now it becomes like mixing cement. Too much liquid, add some more pasta. Pasta too dry? Add more liquid.-COLLAPSE