Thoughts on breaking spaghetti prior to cooking
- Thread starter 1006gm
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Rocklobster
Master Chef
No break camp. I use a tall pot and fill about half. The spaghetti goes in, softens in a minute and then get it stirred up and all totally submerged.
OP
OP
1006gm
Assistant Cook
Wow! Still going! I never thought it was such a passionate subject. I personally didn't like the mess of breaking pasta prior to cooking nor did I ever think of it before I met my husband, very much. Now, I must say it's official. I break it. I came up with a way to break it neatly at any length the family wants which is normally 1/2 or 1/3 (unless I am making some kind of soup then my usual is 1/5) and it still twirls very good. Now the whole family is happy. As for meatballs, if anything we cut them with the side of a fork. No knife, but I have learned that's just our preference and what other people do doesn't bother me unless they are complete and utter slobs when eating in a restaurant or are in the company of others. Then I just loose my appetite. (or not look) 
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I have seen some that spear their meatball with their fork, and gnaw on it like they never learned how to cut into small bite pieces. Sure makes you want to sit at a table with them in an upscale restaurant. 
I break it in half. It is easier for DA to eat it, as she is blind. I cut up the meatballs for her and mix it very well on her plate. All she has to do at this time is put her fork in and twirl it until I tell her it is all there.
Your friend,
~Cat
Your friend,
~Cat
mysterychef
Senior Cook
I was brought up twirling it with a fork into a soup spoon. Till this day my wife says it looks odd. I tell her thats the way we did it back when the dinosaurs roamed. To each their own.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
CarolPa
Executive Chef
I remember as a kid we used to stick the end of the spaghetti strand in our mouth and then suck it in, while sauce flew everywhere.
Yes, so you look like my avatar!!! LOL!
I can't think about slurping spaghetti without thinking of a scene from one of my favourite movies, Tampopo:
TAMPOPO eat spaghetti noiselessly+subtitles - YouTube
TAMPOPO eat spaghetti noiselessly+subtitles - YouTube
Also my mother eat spaghetti in this way, but it is judged right not even in Italy. Anyway, there are many people who do it.
To whom doesn't know how to face meatball, why don't you choose a good "ragù alla bolognese"? There is meat but no meatball to break
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Also my mother eat spaghetti in this way, but it is judged right not even in Italy. Anyway, there are many people who do it.
To whom doesn't know how to face meatball, why don't you choose a good "ragù alla bolognese"? There is meat but no meatball to break
So what is judged right in Italy?
Skipping the issue of whether to cut the meat ball apart. (IMO it's gross to not cut a big meat ball into small pieces before consuming.)
You should use only the fork.
About the issue of the meat ball, I agree: we don't use meatballs in the pasta (someone put them in the lasagna, but very small ones), but cutting them with the fork before you eat them seems the only logical thing.
bakechef
Executive Chef
Look what I found in my store today
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Do you think someone there has been reading our discussion, maybe?
And my store has this.
Prince - Our Products - Quick Cook<sup>®</sup> Elbows
I bought one box of the Penne. Will let you know how it is. You boil it like you do for Success rice. In a bag.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
Look what I found in my store today
View attachment 18868[/QUOTE
For a dollar seventy-nine I'll break my own!
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Look what I found in my store today
View attachment 18868[/QUOTE
For a dollar seventy-nine I'll break my own!
I saw that too. I only buy pasta when it is $1.00 a pound. And I don't break it. Just plain laziness on my part.
bakechef
Executive Chef
Look what I found in my store today
View attachment 18868[/QUOTE
For a dollar seventy-nine I'll break my own!
It's actually the same price as the unbroken. I usually pay $1 a pound, I wait until it goes on sale.
bakechef
Executive Chef
Do you think someone there has been reading our discussion, maybe?
And my store has this.
Prince - Our Products - Quick Cook<sup>®</sup> Elbows
I bought one box of the Penne. Will let you know how it is. You boil it like you do for Success rice. In a bag.
We have that same Pasta in the Ronzoni brand. I was wondering why we don't have Prince pasta here, it's what I grew up with. Remember "Wednesday, Prince Spaghetti day"? Apparently Prince and Ronzoni are the same company.
