Pasta, for so many of us, is a favourite food. It is comforting, nourishing food, that many people enjoy on a daily basis. It is a really easy dish, and you can make some incredibly healthy and delicious sauces to go with it, so you don’t have to worry so much about it being an unhealthy option. Whilst it is true that too much pasta can be a little stodgy, on the whole it is a wonderful food.
It is very easy to throw together a simple midweek meal using dried pasta, and a very few other ingredients, making pasta an easy and convenient option. You could also branch out and make your own fresh pasta, which requires very few ingredients and is relatively easy to do, or you can buy it in packets ready made.
What is pasta?
Pasta is a foodstuff that has its origins in Italy. It is a type of dough made from Durum wheat and water, which is then extruded from various pressing machines and made into different shapes, before being cooked in boiling water.
There are two types of pasta – fresh and dried – and the process for producing each is roughly the same, though the dried versions tend to be made in factories using large scale machinery, while the fresh version is typically made at home, often with the use of a small pasta making machine.
There is a huge variety in the types of pasta you can get, though all share the same ingredients. You can do a lot with pasta, whether dried or fresh, and it is a staple food in most store cupboards.
How does a rice cooker work?
Because the bowl is in no direct contact with the heating element there is no danger of burning the rice on the bottom of the bowl, resulting a waste of rice and a ruined meal.
Most rice cookers these days are very versatile, meaning that you can use them for cooking much more than just rice!
Can you cook pasta in a rice cooker?
The short answer is yes, you can. Obviously though, there are a few right ways and wrong ways to do it. Read on for the best way to cook pasta in a rice cooker!
- Place enough water in the rice cooker to reach about two thirds of the way up the pot.
- Add a pinch of salt, put the lid on the pot and turn on the rice cooker.
- Place your pasta into the bowl – remember that it will at least double in size, so be careful how much you add.
- Leave the pasta to cook for the length of time that the packet states.
- Drain the pasta through a sieve or colander, then serve with whatever sauce you like.
- Serve!
Cooking pasta in a rice cooker is easy and simple, plus it saves you money on your bills, as a rice cooker uses very little energy.
It is also very fast, and you can have your dinner on the table within minutes. It is very easy to clean a rice cooker once you’ve used it, as they are generally made of stainless steel so are pretty much wipe clean.
You can also, if you’re feeling adventurous, cook your pasta and its sauce together in the rice cooker.
You will need to add the pasta and the sauce at the same time, making sure that the sauce is quite liquid-y, so that the pasta cooks well and the dish doesn’t end up too dry.
This will take about 20 minutes in your rice cooker, but you may want to check it halfway through the cooking to make sure it isn’t drying out.
Can you cook fresh pasta in a rice cooker?
Cooking fresh pasta in a rice cooker is a very similar method to that of cooking dried – but you have to remember that it takes a lot less time to cook fresh pasta.
You don’t want to cook it any longer than seven minutes, as this can make the pasta go soggy and unappetising.
Anywhere between one minute and seven minutes is the ideal cooking time for fresh pasta, depending on how al dente you like your dish to be!
Final words
Can you cook pasta in a rice cooker? Yes you can, and it will actually be even easier than the usual way of cooking pasta on the hob.
A rice cooker is easily programmable, designed to be non stick, and you can set it going and then leave it, safe in the knowledge that it will keep your yummy pasta dish warm until you are ready to eat it.
