Do I have to boil/cook pasta 1st b4 adding to dish or can I just add it & cook at the same time?

Question

If I'm making soup can I just add it in? or do I have to boil it 1st?

Answer 1

You cook it first for most recipes because it needs to boil and the rest doesn't.  One exception I can think of is when I make soups.  And some people think adding enough extra sauce to a casserole lets you not boil the pasta first.  It comes out too hard for me by the time the rest of the ingredients are finished.

It's best to cook the pasta first unless the recipe specifies differently!

Answer 2

Depends on the dish.  I almost always cook my pasta before adding to a dish, unless it is a soup, or something that has ample liquid for the pasta to cook in as well as soak up.  If you are adding pasta to a dish to be baked such as a casserole, etc., cook it until al dente' or even a bit less.

They do now make lasagna pasta that you do not need to cook before using, however, I've never tried it.

Answer 3

you always have to cook pasta, whether its fresh or dry.

Answer 4

No you don't have to cook it first.  There are two ways.  You can buy

lasagna noodles that don't have to be precooked or you can brown

some burger or any meat that you want .... or not............

some onions,  add some garlic .. brown a little.. add some water to

deglaze the pan and then add whatever you want eg:  pasta sauce

fresh carrots, and macaroni.  Cover with water ,  bring back to

a slow boil,  turn down and simmer for about  20 minutes and then

keep on simmer without the lid until the liquid is the right amount...

or you can add some water if you need to at any time.   You can do

the same with lasagna...   sauce..noodles(uncooked)..sauce..cheese

...noodles...sauce..cheese... till built..  Add water to cover all ingredients and bake until done.  Works every time .. You can use

V8 juice instead of water and lots of other ways to use your

imagination.  

Answer 5

Depends what you are making. I usually cook mine before.

Answer 6

It depends on the dish.  If you're making lasagna, for example, you generally don't cook the pasta beforehand... you let it cook in the sauce.  If you're making spaghetti, most people boil the pasta first.

Answer 7

They used to make a special, thin, no-boil lasagne noodle, that you just layered in with the sauce and the cheese and baked for an hour, but I've known people get away with doing that with regular noodles.

Most of the time, you need to boil the pasta first. If you're going to be putting in a sauce and heating it up together, you can probably get away with cutting the heat off about a minute or two before it's ready "al dente", "to the tooth". If you've ever eaten noodles that were just cooked wrong, like put it in the water before it was boiling hot, you'll understand why.

Answer 8

You need to cook it first.  But, do not over-cook it.  Depends on what you are making...