Does pasta continue to "cook" after it's cool?

[BAPyessir6]

I am trying to perfect my pasta game, so I am experimenting with dried pasta. I took Barilla spaghetti and boiled it to different doneness to see which I liked better and how it chews after it's out of the water and has sat and cooled about 1 hour.

I started with 100 grams of each and boiled them 7, 8, and 9 minutes respectively. (I ate some before taking a picture, so some have more than others. Also they each have butter and olive oil on them to prevent sticking/clumping).

One thing I noticed was after extracting the pasta and chilling it to room temp within 10 seconds (in a bowl over another bowl of ice water. No rinsing here) I noticed that after it sits around about 30 minutes, it seems to lose some of its al dente texture. The almost hard center 7 minutes is now pleasantly firm, whereas the pleasantly firm 9 minute pasta (right out and chilled), after 30 minutes of sitting seems to be now overcooked.

Does anyone know how this could happen? I know carry over cooking happens, but as I chilled the pasta right after coming out of the boiling water, I didn't think this would be an issue. Am I wrong in my thinking?

 

[caseydog]

Wow, you are putting a lot more effort into this than I would, but I'm kinda' lazy.

Carryover cooking does happen. Chilling the pasta will reduce the amount, but won't completely stop it. It doesn't surprise me that your wet pasta got softer over time, although I can't tell you why. It's a little like French fries... they come out of the fryer crisp, but fifteen minutes later, they are soggy. No additional oil is added to the fries, yet they still get soft.

I cook to al dente when I'm going to finish the cooking in my sauce with a bit of pasta water. I don't like actually eating al dente pasta.

I only cool pasta after cooking if I am going to make a mayo-based pasta salad.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

When I cool pasta (ex. for a salad) it is in running water and I stand there and constantly slosh it thru my hand. When I grab a hand full and hold it and feel NO heat - I stop. The texture never changes.

As casey has said - I think you're over thinking this.

that after it sits around about 30 minutes,

no pasta should be sitting around for 30 minutes. Not saying it doesn't happen but....

how it chews after it's out of the water and has sat and cooled about 1 hour.

wha?? an hour??
again.... why?

Edit:
I used to cooked some pasta, cool it- in cold water!
I would keep a big pot of water at a simmer, then toss in a serving of pasta to reheat, add to some sauce. Instant supper.
Kids had different after school activities and many times we could not eat together - this was a perfect answer to: he needs to eat by 5pm and get out for 5:30; she's not home til 6pm and then goes out again at 7:15 etc.

 

[Andy M.]

With spaghetti being cylindrical, water and heat reaches the center last. Pasta goes from hard to soft with the absorption of heat and water. As cooked pasta sits, the water and heat continue to migrate inwards towards the center.

 

[BAPyessir6]

When I cool pasta (ex. for a salad) it is in running water and I stand there and constantly slosh it thru my hand. When I grab a hand full and hold it and feel NO heat - I stop. The texture never changes.

As casey has said - I think you're over thinking this.

no pasta should be sitting around for 30 minutes. Not saying it doesn't happen but....

wha?? an hour??
again.... why?

Edit:
I used to cooked some pasta, cool it- in cold water!
I would keep a big pot of water at a simmer, then toss in a serving of pasta to reheat, add to some sauce. Instant supper.
Kids had different after school activities and many times we could not eat together - this was a perfect answer to: he needs to eat by 5pm and get out for 5:30; she's not home til 6pm and then goes out again at 7:15 etc.

Yeah. Normally I wouldn't let pasta sit more than 15 or so minutes before either putting it in the fridge or a minute before saucing it, but I was interested in seeing if the texture changed after chilled sitting. I notice that the texture of pasta always changes (gets softer) the next day after cooking it (say mac and cheese, spaghetti etc), but I always figured that it was because it was still warm for a few minutes after I got it out of the boiling water. Rinsing it would've been a better way of chilling it more completely.

 

[BAPyessir6]

Wow, you are putting a lot more effort into this than I would, but I'm kinda' lazy.

Carryover cooking does happen. Chilling the pasta will reduce the amount, but won't completely stop it. It doesn't surprise me that your wet pasta got softer over time, although I can't tell you why. It's a little like French fries... they come out of the fryer crisp, but fifteen minutes later, they are soggy. No additional oil is added to the fries, yet they still get soft.

I cook to al dente when I'm going to finish the cooking in my sauce with a bit of pasta water. I don't like actually eating al dente pasta.

I only cool pasta after cooking if I am going to make a mayo-based pasta salad.

CD

I was very surprised at this revelation. It made me realize I either need to get quicker at saucing my pasta as soon as it's cooked, or quickly chill it after it's out to preserve the texture. Bon appetit?

 

[taxlady]

I don't think it has anything to do with continuing cooking. I think it is just evening out the water that has been absorbed by the pasta. Kenji Lopez Alt did some experiments with hydrating pasta in cold water and then cooking them for a very short while later. He sometimes does this in the fridge. Then, later when he wants to eat, the pasta just needs to be quickly cooked. It may already be softened, but the flour that the pasta is made of is still raw.

 

[pictonguy]

It's called retrogradation and effects starch basically. A little look should answer most of your questions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrogradation_(starch)

Retrogradation is a reaction that takes place when the amylose and amylopectin chains in cooked, gelatinized starch realign themselves as the cooked starch cools.

For dried pasta, cooking to al dente means the starch is only partially gelatinized, leaving a firm core and then as the pasta cools or is cooled down the starch molecules begin to reorganize and continue to absorb water even from the air. Undercooking slightly by 2 minutes or so is your best bet if you plan to store or reheat.

 

[caseydog]

I was very surprised at this revelation. It made me realize I either need to get quicker at saucing my pasta as soon as it's cooked, or quickly chill it after it's out to preserve the texture. Bon appetit?

If you finish cooking your pasta in the sauce, instead of pouring sauce on top of it, your pasta will absorb more sauce. Mix a little pasta water in with the sauce and pasta mixture, and the sauce will emulsify better and bind even better to the pasta.

CD

 

[pictonguy]

If you finish cooking your pasta in the sauce, instead of pouring sauce on top of it, your pasta will absorb more sauce. Mix a little pasta water in with the sauce and pasta mixture, and the sauce will emulsify better and bind even better to the pasta.

CD

Your absolutely right and why it's so important to finish the cooking of most pasta in the sauce, it's basically a game changer for most people.

Anyway, I wonder if anyone is going to pick up on a pretty blatant error/omission in the video.

 

[taxlady]

Your absolutely right and why it's so important to finish the cooking of most pasta in the sauce, it's basically a game changer for most people.

Anyway, I wonder if anyone is going to pick up on a pretty blatant error/omission in the video.

Well, I missed it. I do expect a d'oh! reaction when you tell us what it is.

 

[BAPyessir6]

Your absolutely right and why it's so important to finish the cooking of most pasta in the sauce, it's basically a game changer for most people.

Anyway, I wonder if anyone is going to pick up on a pretty blatant error/omission in the video.

He's not Italian?

I'm joking!

Uhhhh. . .he didn't salt the pasta water? Instead he said "if you've seasoned your pasta water nicely" not to "salt your pasta water/fairly heavily"?

 

[pictonguy]

After taking a closer look I realized this is Daniel Gritzer the Managing Culinary Director of "Serious Eats" which is one of many website I've come to use as a reference to compare recipes for accuracy or authenticity just to make sure a random recipe is on the right track and makes sense and not leading someone astray, I think you know what I mean. Which puts a whole new light on what now I'll call a deliberate deception just so he can be right and to make his point easier, they knew exactly what they did and they did it on purpose. Bad boy Daniel, lol

 

[dragnlaw]

does it start with p and end in y? Only thing I can think of. Doesn't make sense. Don't see how that would confuse the issue.

 

[pictonguy]

I give, what starts with a p and ends in a y

 

[HeyItsSara]

i also don't fuss over pasta like that.

 

[pacanis]

I didn't even know pasta had a game

I make a recipe I got from here quite frequently, and it calls for using one pot. Which I do since getting a 3qt saucier.

First you cook the pasta, then you cook the rest.
And while cooking the rest the pasta sits in a strainer with some EVOO on it so it doesn't stick. Then gets put back in at the end.

I cook it the usual al dente time and never had it go mushy on me. I'm guessing it sits for around 20 minutes. Maybe a little longer.

I start timing when I get the pasta fully submerged. Not when the water comes to a boil again. I think that might have an effect.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I prepare my Sicilain Grandma's sauce in a cauldron. I form my meatballs as close to the same size as possible by using an ice cream scoop, then drop them into the sauce raw, to simmer and cook through for 45 minutes. Because I use shredded bread, not bread crumbs, the meatballs will increase in size by up to 50% from simmering in the sauce.

I cook the maccheroni, any amount, any shape, usually Ronzoni brand, for 12 minutes, no more, no less. Barilla is designed to remain al dente, even if you boil it for an hour! Then I dump the maccheroni into the sculapasta, shake vigorously, then dump it back into the pot. For hollow maccheroni I repeat the draining process once more. Then I add sauce to the maccheroni, just enough to coat it, and mix. Then I serve it. I don't give a tinker's damn what anyone says, the water the maccheroni was cooked in is still water, regardless of how much starch it retains, and it is not going to thicken your sauce. IT IS GOING TO WATER IT DOWN! That is an old, NONITALIAN, wives tale, like twisting your spaghetti onto your fork using a tablespoon.

This basic spaghetti and meatballs preparation has been perfected by three generations of Sicilians, in both the old country and the new, and now passed on to a fourth generation, by me. I will stand by it to my dying breath.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've always considered that the adding of the pasta water was done simply to "loosen" a too thick sauce.
Aside from making a Roman favourite of Pasta Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino where the oil and the water IS the sauce, that's the only time I add some water back.
I know I have had to add water to a thick tomato meat sauce but it was eons ago. Then again pasta with a sauce like that is rare for me to even make anymore.

 

[pictonguy]

Water is for emulsification purposes only and some pasta dishes like aglio e olio, Cacio e pepe, carbonara, Burro e parmigiano are made that way and other sauces like tomato or cream sauces don't require it. Water can be added to thin out or rehydrate a dry sauce but that's not the same thing.