22 minute pasta?
Posted by yabbitgirl on Apr 17, 2010 · Member since Apr 2006 · 14266 posts
I picked up a bag of what looks like very long spaghetti in the supermarket. It says "Pici Toscani" and it calls for the pasta to be cooked...for 22 minutes? :o It seems to be in tangled up little "nests", which could very well be one long noodle.
Is it because it's so long, or because, as the ingredients state, it's made of "hard wheat"? If that's the reason, it must be very hard wheat indeed...
I wonder if I break it up it would cook quicker, but that doesn't seem to make sense, as the materials don't change...
Has anyone else run across this kind of pasta?
Hmm... interesting. I think I've seen what you're talking about, but I've never actually had it so I'm not sure about the cooking time. I do know, however, that whenever I look at the cook time on pasta boxes it's always totally bogus (aka, way longer than it needs) so I just go until the pasta is cooked to my taste.
Hmmm... I think, at least, the "hard wheat" is normal. You know, like "durum semolina."
Hmm... interesting. I think I've seen what you're talking about, but I've never actually had it so I'm not sure about the cooking time. I do know, however, that whenever I look at the cook time on pasta boxes it's always totally bogus (aka, way longer than it needs) so I just go until the pasta is cooked to my taste.
Yeah, me too. I guess I'll just keep an eye on it. Will let you know. I guess I can start the sauce when the water boils for the pasta so even if it does take 22 min, both will be done at the same time.
I know some people like their pasta waaay cooked, but I've never been to Tuscany. I do however have a pre-war British cookbook that speaks of boiling the pasta and then baking it in the oven for about half an hour. But then she also suggests that the only way to eat bananas is to bake them for an hour in milk and brown sugar, which even for a non-vegan cook sounds gross to me!!
I'm back! Yeah, it sure did need the 22 min. Those noodles swelled up like spaghetti on steroids! I mean, it got thick like Udon noodles. Wow. After 22 min it was still a bit chewy, but since it has to stand until I'm ready for it and be reheated it should do nicely. I think the leftovers (because wow, did it make pasta!) can be frozen with no prob since it isn't going to go mushy any time soon.
I actually prefer pasta that will hold up...but next time I wouldn't cook quite the whole package. I knew better but I always do that!