Microwave and pasta both sound convenient, right?
But can you cook barilla pasta in the microwave and still get your desired results?
Read this segment to clear your doubts.
Can You Cook Barilla Pasta In The Microwave?
Absolutely. You can cook Barilla in a microwave oven.
It is fast and convenient to make spaghetti in a microwave oven. It takes 60 seconds to make your pasta in the microwave on high power.
Barilla is a popular Italian meal hailed for its nutritional value. It is rich in the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate)
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Iron
- Folic Acids
- Soluble fiber
Microwaving Barilla is the most convenient cooking method since it is fast and preserves nutrients. Alternative cooking methods, like boiling over a stove, alter the nutritional value of pasta due to long exposure to water and heat.
Cooking Barilla in the microwave is a convenient hack since it saves you from washing many dishes. It takes you only a microwave-safe bowl to microwave your pasta.
Microwaved pasta has the following benefits:
- It is an excellent source of energy
- It is non-GMO
- Rich in vitamins and iron
- Low glycemic index.
- Lactose-free
- Peanut free
- Shellfish free
- A complete meal for vegetarians
- It’s 100% whole grain
How Do You Cook Barilla Pasta In The Microwave?
Here is the recipe for delicious barilla pasta:
Ingredients
Barilla pasta
Olive oil to prevent the cords from sticking together when cooked.
Sea salt for seasoning and flavor.
Equipment
A microwave-safe bowl
Yield
250g of barilla serves 4
Procedure
- Place your spaghetti in a microwave-safe bowl. Look for a microwave-safe label (3 bold wavy lines).
- Add enough water into the bowl until all pasta is covered. Water makes dry pasta soft.
- Set your microwave on high power and let it run for 60 seconds.
- Use your oven gloves to remove the hot bowl from the oven.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the cooked pasta making sure none sticks on the bottom of the bowl.
- Drain excess water. Leave your pasta to rest for 3 minutes to absorb any extra moisture.
- Serve your ready pasta with either of the following alternatives:
- Fresh vegetables
- Tomato sauce
- Fish sauce
You can alternatively check the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging to see the procedure for microwaving pasta.
What Are The Safety Tips To Observe When You Microwave Barilla Pasta?
Follow the following tips to get the best quality pasta while ensuring personal safety:
- Use a microwave-safe bowl. Avoid metals because they explode when heated, and plastics melt to leach harmful toxins into your food.
- Use oven gloves to handle the hot microwaved bowl to avoid severe burns on your hands.
- Don’t overcook your spaghetti. Microwaving pasta beyond 60 seconds makes them soggy and kills the available nutrients.
- Drain water and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Olive oil prevents the spaghetti cords from sticking together.
- Cook your Barillas well to give them a soft texture.
Alternatives To Microwaving Barilla Pasta
You don’t have to beat yourself too hard if you don’t have a microwave oven. You can choose an alternative method of cooking and still get incredible results.
The method you choose, however, should not leave your pasta crunchy or soggy. The following are the available alternatives:
How To Cook Barilla Is A Slow Cooker
Cooking pasta in a slow cooker is as convenient as microwaving it. It is fast and easy.
If you choose to cook your pasta in a slow cooker, you must monitor the process and remove your pasta as soon as it attains your desired level of doneness.
Slow cookers give extra soft pasta ideal for sauces, unlike the former pasta required for salads.
Here is how you do it:
- Put your pasta in a pot and cover it with enough water.
- Cover the pot with a lid.
- Boil for 30 minutes but check at an interval of 15 minutes to see the level of doneness.
- Drain excess water and let the pasta rest for 15 minutes without the lid for the water to dry off completely.
How To Cook Pasta In An Instant Pot
Using an instant pot is the most ideal of all the methods of cooking pasta. It preserves the dissolved nutrients 100 % since no excess water is drained.
The rule of thumb when cooking pasta in an instant pot is that you use two cups of water for every 8 ounces of Barilla. This means that all the water is used in softening your pasta.
Here is how you do it:
- Put your pasta in the instant pot. Remember to follow the above rule of thumb when determining the amount of water.
- Place the lid, lock, and seal its valve.
- Set the pressure cooker on high.
You should cook for half the time indicated on the packaging, less than two minutes. However, you can prolong the cooking time to get softer pasta or reduce the time to get firmer spaghetti.
Once the timer goes off, stir your pasta and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to absorb extra water.
FAQs
Can You Soak Pasta Instead Of Boiling It?
No, it is not advisable to soak spaghetti in boiling water and assume they are cooked regardless of how long you soak them.
You will get soft pasta if you soak it in boiling water, but it will have an unpleasant uncooked taste.
Cooking pasta involves two processes: rehydration and actual cooking. Soaking pasta is meant to soften it, thus reducing the cooking time.
Soaking pasta is a precooking hack for baking it.
Can You Reheat Pasta In The Microwave Without Drying It?
Reheating pasta in the microwave is as easy as follows:
- Plain your pasta in a microwave-safe bowl (whether plain or in sauce).
- Add two tablespoons of water.
- Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe paper towel.
- Microwave for 30-60 seconds on high power.
Final Thoughts
Cooking Barilla in the microwave is easy and convenient. It requires a microwave-safe bowl, and the process takes only 60 seconds.
Microwaving pasta helps preserve the available nutrients since the exposure time is minimal.
Microwave the Barilla on high heat for 1 minute and get super soft spaghetti.