Making pasta pots

twopenny

Can anyone give me hints and tips about reproducing similar pots to the supermarket ones please?

I love the basic pasta with dressing, pine nuts and cheese and can enjoy the one with garlic mayo.
Now they have gone up to nearly £5😲 and I've had a go at them.

My problem seems to be that I can't make them the day before or longer and keep the pasta soft. It stiffens by evening.
The supermarket ones keep for days but only the simple ingredients.

Is there a way to make them and keep them fresh?

DullGreyGuy

Cool the pasta down quickly after cooking, keep it in a sealed container but only once its fully cooled 

-taff

It will stiffen a bit because it's starchy, but if you put some olive oil on it [ or butter] or something like that and give it a stir, it will stop it drying out so it'll only be cold hard not dry hard. I would say make the pasta, put it in the fridge, assemble your ingredients, then take as much pasta as you need and microwave it for a few seconds just to take the chill off then add your other ingredients then. 

I make a kind of rice salad in a similar way but that doesn't tend to go hard even when cold, but I also put in various types of rice, so short grain, black sticky, spelt, pearl barley, wild rice, long brown rice [ I dont put in normal long grain because I haven't got any and it's a bit boring ]then add some oil and mix. The i add in stuff like feta, or mozzarella, little slices of frankfurters, artichokes, capers, roasted red peppers, tinned mushrooms, olives etc [ all from tins or jars so they go a long way] I also cook the rice with a stock cube and some sun dried tomatoes for extra flavour. It'll keep a good while in the fridge. 

flaneurs_lobster

DullGreyGuy said:

Cool the pasta down quickly after cooking, keep it in a sealed container but only once its fully cooled 

This. A restaurant would use a blast chiller, could use an ice bath or cold running water at a pinch.

YorksLass

Cook pasta, drain and pour boiling water over it to rinse off the starch.  Add a little oil or pesto whilst still hot, give it a good stir to make sure all the pasta is coated and allow to cool.  Then add whatever other ingredients you want in it plus some grated cheese, another stir and refrigerate until needed.

twopenny

Ooo lovely, thank you everyone 🙂

Yes, I wonder if it's blast chilled or something. I've seen cooks on TV dunk stuff in ice. Trouble is pfaffing around getting ice. They have people to do this.

I'll start with one idea here and work my way down. There are a lot of good suggestions I hadn't thought of.

Surely it should be simple enough. 😄

Brie

When I was working and wanted to take lunch I would ensure that there was a bowl available when I was cooking pasta for dinner (usually fusilli or similar).  Once the pasta was cooked I'd dish it up and add whatever sauce we were using.  I'd put the extras in the spare bowl and mix in a bit of sauce.  After I might add a bit of mayo, chunks of left over meat/fish, some chunks of tomatoes, other chopped raw veg.  Give it a good stir and portion it into lunch containers to sit in the fridge until needed.  

Don't forget there's also the "pot noodle" type things you can do using the instant noodles.  So uncooked noodles into your travel container of choice, add your meat/veg/some bullion powder and just add hot water when you get to work.   

twopenny

I didn't know that Brie 🙂
Might be a winter picnic idea which sounds scrummy. I like pot noodles but haven't eaten them for years because of all the weird stuff in them.

JIL

I remember seeing something where someone did this in a glass jar, I googled but couldn't find it but the AI text was useful 

For a hot water lunch at work, consider these noodle options: rice vermicelli (often found in Thai and Vietnamese markets), thin, quick-cook noodles, or even leftover cooked spaghetti or other pastas. You can also use uncooked ramen noodles or other thin, easy-to-rehydrate noodles. 

Here's a breakdown of the best choices:

• Rice Vermicelli:

  These are a popular choice for a just-add-hot-water noodle experience, as they cook quickly in hot water. 

Thin, Quick-Cook Noodles:

These noodles are designed to soften with boiling water without needing to be pan-cooked. 

Leftover Cooked Pasta:

You can use leftover spaghetti, soba, or other plain pasta dishes that have been cooked al dente. 

Ramen Noodles:

While often instant, you can also use the uncooked noodles and add hot water to them. 

Other Noodles:

Consider udon, soba, or even egg noodles if they're pre-cooked or par-cooked. 

Important Considerations:

• Heatproof Container: Use a sealable, heatproof jar or container to hold your noodles and water. 

Layering: If layering, add wet ingredients at the bottom and then build layers of drier, more resilient ingredients, such as veggies. Storage: If storing your noodles for more than a few days, be mindful of food safety and consider layering to prevent mushing and moisture issues. 

kimwp

Not quite the same thing, but couscous makes an excellent cold salad.

vacheron

The pasta meals (pasta + salad + some type of chicken / prawn / tuna + a bit of mayo) at my local Asda are £2. Always thought that was good value. I keep some "good" mayo (their mayo isn't the tastiest) and some (pre) toasted pine nuts at work to spruce them up a bit if needed.