How come when I cook anything with pasta it takes 10-15 minutes longer to cook than the instructions say. the only thing I can think of is that maybe its like baking altitude makes a differents.???
2006-11-20 16:41:37 · 6 answers · asked by bgaroo 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Get the water to boil 1st than put them in. Don't bring them to boil together with cold water. Also stainless pot conduct heat better than aluminium or other metal pots. Gas cooking has more heat than electric hot plate too.
2006-11-20 17:25:07 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Altitude can make a difference, but for a 10 - 15 minute difference, you would have to be living in Denver or somewhere close to that (about 1 mile above sea level).
One other thing I can think of is that you might not be bringing the water to a complete rolling boil before adding the pasta. The instructions on the box do not account for the time it takes to get the water boiling, they start timing once you put the pasta in the boiling water. Once you put the pasta in the boiling water, you need to reduce the heat just enough to keep the water simmering but not boiling (water is still rolling, but not in danger of boiling over).
If you are doing everything correctly and it still takes longer, then your stove may have a problem maintaining a constant temperature.
2006-11-20 17:02:34 · answer #2 · answered by FabMom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try putting the lid back on the pan after you add the pasta. This helps to bring the water back to boil quickly, reduces lag time. Do you put any oil or butter into the water? This can retard cooking times. Only do this for sheets of lasagne or large pasta shapes.
2006-11-20 17:26:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I am making pasta in out of a box I have never had it done in the time that box specifies. Altitude does have a real effect of cooking time too. But as long as it comes out eatable, why worry? You know?
2006-11-20 17:26:01 · answer #4 · answered by Crystal D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be that, or you might not be cooking it in enough water. That's usually my problem - I don't cook a box of pasta in the 6 quarts of water they usually recommend - I'm lucky if I use 6 Cups!
Another thing could be how you like your pasta. The instructions are usually for al dente, which is too hard for me - I prefer it a lot softer.
2006-11-20 16:47:44 · answer #5 · answered by Quarter Midget Mom 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you bring your saltedwaterto a boil and drop in your pasta it sould be ready in 6 to 8 minutes.
2006-11-21 01:44:32 · answer #6 · answered by peckerwud2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋