Question on What happend to my pasta

[letscook]

I make this bean salad that has a dressing consisting of oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley salt and pepper. It sound bland but it is really good on bean salad or really I should call vegetable salad, as I tend to put more in it then beans, like cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts, mixed colored pepper. We were eating lunch and hubbie says I bet this dressing be good on a pasta salad. That evening I cooked up a handful of pasta to try the dressing on it - put in it in the fridge, the next day make lunch I brought it out to tested the flavor and discovered the pasta has hardened back up like I never cooked it. My question finally is, What made it harden, I 'm thinking the sugar- Your thoughts?

 

[GotGarlic]

It's due to a process called retrogradation. Here's more than you ever wanted to know about it, courtesy of Cooks Illustrated :wink :
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/science/860-articles/story/word-of-the-week-retrogradation

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks for the science, GG.

Letscook, take that pasta and drop it into some hot water until it re-softens. Then drain and toss with the dressing.

 

[letscook]

Thanks GG - very interesting
Andy, I had put the dressing on the pasta to marinate over night.
I make pasta salads a lot and never had this happen so Im thinking the different kind of a dressing I used on it.
Glad I only cooked a handful of the pasta to try this dressing on it.