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> When the water boils, pour in your pasta. Why even wait for the water to boil? I always pour my pasta into the cold water right from the start, and it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Wouldn’t that increase the time it takes to get a boil going? Doesn’t that increase the thermal load (or whatever the appropriate term is)?
Quoting from https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/can-passive-pasta-r...
"The response was swift, and it came from starred chef Antonello Colonna. The Roman cook rejected Parisi's solution, claiming that with this procedure the pasta becomes "rubbery", and impossible to serve in a high-level restaurant. Colonna considers the method a failure and proposes cooking on an open-fire grill, with pots that have fed entire generations like a cauldron. The chef claims this traditional low-temperature technique lowers electricity costs in his restaurant."
Not really "passive" cooking as you're just not actively pumping heat into already boiling water and just cooking pasta in steadily cooling water. You can actually soften pasta and many other similar foods by just leaving them in room temperature water for a much longer period. Some backpackers do this to reduce weight and it's been the only way I've ever prepared food while backpacking. Admittedly, cold noodles, oat…
Not sure what's so special. I would assume everybody knows that most of the energy during cooking is wasted: 1. By the water evaporating 2. By the hot gasses escaping without actually heating up anything 3. With the water poured away after cooking Which is why I: 1. Put a lid on the pot whenever I can. Once it boils it usually is enough to reduce the burner to absolute minimum to keep the simmer unless I am adding la…
With that in mind, it's kind of fascinating comparing the en-US and en-GB Barilla websites. The GB site emphasizes sustainability ("100% Plastic Free", a page on sustainable basil farming, this Passive Cooking thing), while the US site emphasizes the quality and authenticity of the product ("Barilla al Bronzo", "Vero Gusto", "Chef's Corner"). No corporate responsibility promotions at all.
> When the water boils, pour in your pasta. Why even wait for the water to boil? I always pour my pasta into the cold water right from the start, and it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Different stoves take different amount of time to boil water. Kinda hard to follow the timing directions on the box if you start with cold water.
> When the water boils, pour in your pasta. Why even wait for the water to boil? I always pour my pasta into the cold water right from the start, and it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Wouldn’t that increase the time it takes to get a boil going? Doesn’t that increase the thermal load (or whatever the appropriate term is)?
Not really "passive" cooking as you're just not actively pumping heat into already boiling water and just cooking pasta in steadily cooling water. You can actually soften pasta and many other similar foods by just leaving them in room temperature water for a much longer period. Some backpackers do this to reduce weight and it's been the only way I've ever prepared food while backpacking. Admittedly, cold noodles, oat…
The method described here (which has been around for centuries) instead gets you the same result as cooking in constantly boiling water, saving a lot of gas/electricity.
Not sure what's so special. I would assume everybody knows that most of the energy during cooking is wasted: 1. By the water evaporating 2. By the hot gasses escaping without actually heating up anything 3. With the water poured away after cooking Which is why I: 1. Put a lid on the pot whenever I can. Once it boils it usually is enough to reduce the burner to absolute minimum to keep the simmer unless I am adding la…
In the US, when it comes to Italian food, there's a lot of "you must prepare it this particular way or else Nonna will burst out of her grave and flog you with a pappardelle whip" discourse. With that in mind, it's kind of fascinating comparing the en-US and en-GB Barilla websites. The GB site emphasizes sustainability ("100% Plastic Free", a page on sustainable basil farming, this Passive Cooking thing), while the U…
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boi...
https://www.seriouseats.com/tips-for-better-easier-pasta
"Want to get even more crazy efficient? Try soaking pasta in water as your prep your other ingredients. By the time your sauce is ready, you can just add the pasta (along with some of its soaking liquid) to the pan and, with a minute or so of cooking, your meal will be ready to go. One less pot to clean and a pretty satisfying magic trick to boot. Still skeptical? Here's the science to back it all up. The one exception here is fresh pasta—because it contains eggs, it needs to cook in boiling water to set properly."