I'm becoming a fan of this type of noodle (take that pasta purists) because it requires much less cooking time than thicker strands.

One of my standby methods for using it is to bulk up instant soups like Fantastic Foods Sesame Miso Noodle. I'll pour the contents of the cardboard soup cup into a ziploc bag, add some broken up angel hair and it is good to go. The pasta cooks just as quickly as the rest of the soup but makes it a lot more filling.

If you have a Hispanic section at your store, pick up the Mexican pasta in the little bags (they go for 25-50 cents a bag). The broken up pasta they sell works well for variety :-)All you need is a couple Tbl's. And as gross as it sounds, broken up, unseasoned ramen or Chuka Soba noodles work well also.

Edited by sarbar on 04/16/2006 23:08:39 MDT.

The rice noodles used in pad thai only need to sit in boiling water for a couple minutes to be cooked. I noticed this when I bought some pad thai over the weekend and the directions said to boil water and place noodles in the boiled water, let sit 5 minutes, add spices and oil. And it is vegan. If anyone is interested in what type of pad thai this was I can look once I am home.

Small pasta like Angel Hair is better when dealing with higher altitudes as well. Regular pastas never seem to cook. Rice based noodles are quite good for this too but if I am having a traditional tomato sauce I prefer the angel hair.

no cook time - add boiling water and they are almost instantly soft

Erich, I would be interested in the type/ brand of pad thai noodle Thanks

Cat, a good brand of instant Pad Thai is Mama Brand frm Thailand. All you do is soak it in hot water (not boiling). You don't have to use the packets of flavor that come with it.


I work for Importfood.com, and we carry it. You can also buy it at a well stocked asian store.

Edited by sarbar on 05/23/2006 09:47:09 MDT.

are thin & basically cook instantly in hot water

you can get them in different types too (buckwheat, etc)

Also good is Chuka Soba noodles from Japan-they are thinner than many somen noosles, and cook like ramen does (all it has to do is sit in really hot water for 5-10 minutes.)

In Canada we get infomercials for a kitchen product called the Pasta Express. All it is is a (mildly) insulated jar that you put pasta and boiling water in. Then you just wait and the pasta cooks in the hot water -- the demo is with spaghetti.

Anyone try this out? It seems like a good concept but I wonder how the noodles taste after just being parked in sub-boiling water for 10 minutes...

If the concept really does make good spaghetting, then a pot cozy could let us cook almost any pasta with the stove off -- according to Pasta Express, all that is required is patience!

I received a Pasta Express as a gift this spring--it works! I've noticed no adverse taste or extra starchiness. Any extra starchiness would, one could argue, be a benefit in the field. I've successfully cooked angel hair, spaghetti, and fettuccini, but I'd recommend focusing on the thinner types in the field as one doesn't encounter wind or low temperatures in a kitchen.

Sweet! I take that to mean that a pot/kettle with a good cozy is a pasta express in disguise!

I wonder if we've been wasting fuel by boiling all that pasta instead of just keeping it hot...

Thanks, Sarah!

I'll have to look for it at our oriental grocer.