Honestly, I'm not sure that I get the value here. Is it just the ability to do some of the prep in advance? Why is (2hrs + 4min) better than (10min)? When I'm cooking a meal, getting the pasta done is rarely the limiting factor on any axis: it's dead simple, predictably timed, and requires very little attention beyond an occasional stir.
If you're looking for a different taste or texture and this is a way to achieve that, cool. But what makes the usual way "not optimal"? (I'm very leery of bold claims of revolutionary new cooking techniques based on traditional equipment and ingredients. People have been working to optimize cooking and discover new techniques for the entire history of civilization, and most of the low-hanging fruit has presumably been plucked long since.)
Yes. It moves and splits the prep, so that the longest part of it is doable far in advance. It removes a timing element from the the finishing of the dish, too; it user-proofs the pasta. Pasta timing is predictable, but requires actual attention to be paid to that timing.
It's particularly useful for risotto, or for dishes like baked mac & cheese where rehydration in boiling water will overcook the pasta.
What's particularly interesting about this technique is that it requires no equipment or advanced technique. Just soak the pasta in cold water. That's it. That's why I'm so effusive about it.
What? You've removed 4-6 minutes from the "longest part" (which is likely eaten up by setting up the soak, draining it, and washing the soaking container) and your technique still requires timing the pasta.
Dump noodles in bowl. Fill bowl with water. Walk away indefinitely. I don't care how much time that takes, because it's neither timed nor attended, unlike boiling pasta.
("Washing the soaking container?")
There's no real "timing" the pasta during cooking. "Heat noodles through". Done.
> There's no real "timing" the pasta during cooking. "Heat noodles through". Done.
You've still got to cook them if they're pre-soaked, and avoid both undercooking them and having tough noodles and overcooking them into a starchy sludge.
Either way, you'll either be going off a timer or by checking every few minutes for doneness. I don't find pressing a single button on my phone and saying "11 minute timer" to be so onerous that I'd look into soaking noodles hours in advance just to have to check them to make sure they're al dente anyways.
I will try using this technique next time I make carbonara.
Carbonara is simple: cook bacon, reserve grease, pour in hot pasta + cheese + milk + egg.
If I'm on the ball, I can cook and crumble the bacon a day in advance, but then the full pasta boil is easily the longest part of the process.
If I have the bacon already prepped and can reduce the "bring-to-boil + wait ten minutes", it's actually a very nice time savings for me when having a dinner party.
If you have a hot liquid to cook the pasta in, you don't need to bring-to-boil; you can heat rehydrated noodles through in oil, butter, bacon fat, or whatever.
Ok, that's interesting: I hadn't recognized that you could use the pre-soaked pasta directly in fat (without further boiling in water/broth/whatever). I'm now more intrigued; thanks!
BTW Carbonara is named after minced black pepper which should make it look like carbon - YMMV though.
Oh, and don't forget to add grated pecorino cheese!
I'm with you, it's just not a big enough time saver to be worth it beyond the novelty IMHO. Also it's way easier to store some dried pasta vs. this hydrated pasta (that presumably has to take up some precious refrigerator space?).
Restaurants can benefit from this knowledge. They have the down-time to prepare the noodles in advance, and can gain immensely by having shorter processes on the serving side.
If you're looking for a different taste or texture and this is a way to achieve that, cool. But what makes the usual way "not optimal"? (I'm very leery of bold claims of revolutionary new cooking techniques based on traditional equipment and ingredients. People have been working to optimize cooking and discover new techniques for the entire history of civilization, and most of the low-hanging fruit has presumably been plucked long since.)