Thread: Film on Spaghetti Noodles

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.
>
> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
> - Spaghetti does that
> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
> Thanks for your input.

Where do you live? It may be your water. If it is soap, I'd think you would
know it.

"cybercat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:g7salv$s4q$[email protected]..
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>> of pasta crackles.
>>
>> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
>> - Spaghetti does that
>> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>>
>> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>>
>> Thanks for your input.
>
> Where do you live? It may be your water. If it is soap, I'd think you
> would know it.

You are not boiling enough water. You need a large pot. Why would you
break the noodles in half anyway (that wouldn't creat your problem - just
asking)?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:31:18 -0700 (PDT), "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>of pasta crackles.
>
>I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>- It happens because my pasta is low grade
>- Spaghetti does that
>- There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>- Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
>I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
>Thanks for your input.

Never heard of that. Why is your pasta just sitting around and
waiting for you to finish everything else? It takes 10 minutes from
start to finish, unless you're heating up a 20 gallon stockpot of
water. Make your pasta last and use it immediately. Do not rinse!

In the event you do finish your pasta before you're ready to set the
meal on the table, save some of the pasta water to reheat and delump
it. You want the starches. Learn to love your pasta water.

Oh, if you're breaking your noodles before you put them in the pot....
try a different type. Branch out! There's a whole world of pasta out
there.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

[email protected] wrote:
> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.
>
> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
> - Spaghetti does that
> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
> Thanks for your input.

Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
likely mean not enough water)?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:31:18 -0700 (PDT), "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>of pasta crackles.
>
>I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>- It happens because my pasta is low grade
>- Spaghetti does that
>- There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>- Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
>I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
>Thanks for your input.

Try adding a small amount of olive oil.

<[email protected]> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles,

WRONG.

Steve

"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:g7sspp$2fe$[email protected]..
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>boil, break noodles,
>
> WRONG.
>

Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"

Steve Pope <[email protected]> wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> > boil, break noodles,
>
> WRONG.
>
> Steve

LOL Just another example of how not to cook pasta.

Jill

cybercat <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>> WRONG.

>Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"

Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
neatly if they've been broken.

Steve

George wrote:
>
> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
> likely mean not enough water)?

Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.

I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
student. I became an expert on everything you could
make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.

cybercat wrote:
> "Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:g7sspp$2fe$[email protected]..
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>> boil, break noodles,
>> WRONG.
>>
>
> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
>
They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> George wrote:
>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>> likely mean not enough water)?
>
> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.

I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high when
using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films and
attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.

>
> I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
> student. I became an expert on everything you could
> make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
> the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
> too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.

Steve Pope said...

> cybercat <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>>> WRONG.
>
>>Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
> Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
> neatly if they've been broken.
>
> Steve


Steve,

I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.

Best,

Andy

Mark Thorson said...

> George wrote:
>>
>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>> likely mean not enough water)?
>
> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.


Isn't it the starch visually showing up in the strainer?

Andy

George said...

> Mark Thorson wrote:
>> George wrote:
>>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>>> likely mean not enough water)?
>>
>> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
>> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
>> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
>> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
>> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
>> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
>> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.
>
> I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high when
> using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films and
> attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.
>
>>
>> I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
>> student. I became an expert on everything you could
>> make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
>> the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
>> too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.


Sorry.

What George said!

Didn't read up in advance.

Andy

[email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:

> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles,

Why? If you do not like long pasta shapes, opt for more suitable short
ones. There are few things harder to eat neatly than too-short
spaghetti, even if in desperation you were to resort to chopsticks.
Normal-length spaghetti (and other long shapes) are very easy to learn
to twirl onto a fork and into a neat bite-sized bundle with only a bit
of practice. There are also spaghetti lunghi, extra-long spaghetti.
Why do you think they are produced? A single extra-long strand will be
enough for such a bite-sized bundle.

> put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.

I am not sure I can visualise this, but I suspect the film/bubble might
be concentrated starch, which would mean that you are using way too
little water.

Victor

Andy <q> wrote:

>>>"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>>>> WRONG.

>I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.

Why not just use ziti or rigatoni if you don't want to
twirl spaghetti?

Seriously, I wish spaghetti were even longer.

Steve

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George <[email protected]>
wrote:

>cybercat wrote:
>> "Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:g7sspp$2fe$[email protected]..
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>> WRONG.
>>>
>>
>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>
>>
>They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

Even "long spaghetti"?

Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?

"George" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:g7t01b$ves$[email protected]..
> cybercat wrote:
>> "Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:g7sspp$2fe$[email protected]..
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>> WRONG.
>>>
>>
>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
> They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

I break mine in half because my mother broke hers in half.