What is the required amount of water to cook pasta?

Camping is a fun and refreshing activity, and spending time in nature is relaxing. One thing that is not so relaxing is cooking a meal on the campfire after a long hike. Most campers desire a warm, fulfilling meal that is quick and easy to cook, like pasta. However, nobody wants to wait 20 minutes for the water to boil. So, how can you cut down on the time-consuming task of preparing pasta?

Before we delve into how to make pasta, let’s explore the history of pasta and what happens during the cooking process. Pasta is a product made by mixing water with wheat flour to form clay-like chunks. These chunks are then shaped (e.g., into spaghetti strands) and boiled in water. The versatile texture and mild flavor of pasta make it an excellent companion for various recipes and sauces.

The practice of making pasta dates back to China around 200 BC (before the Common Era). By 544 AD, a manuscript titled “Essential Arts for the People’s Welfare” dedicated a chapter to fabric products, including various shapes of wheat noodles and methods for making them. Syrian documents from the 9th century indicate the use of semolina dough for making noodles.

You might have heard the myth about Marco Polo bringing pasta from China to Europe in the 14th century, but noodles were already present in Paris in the 11th century and Sicily in Italy in the 12th century. Once pasta made its way to Italy, the art of pasta-making evolved. Pasta makers formed guilds to produce fresh pasta from soft flour and dried pasta from durum semolina flour, one of the three main types of wheat. Durum semolina flour, being high in gluten and protein, provides elasticity and chewiness to bread.

The objective of pasta-making is to transform dried flour into chunks that are sturdy enough to be shaped into various forms and remain intact when cooked. The process involves combining water and flour to create dough, allowing it to rest for water absorption, rolling and folding the dough, and then cutting or shaping it as desired.

Raw pasta contains starch granules embedded in gluten protein structures. When pasta is cooked, the starch granules on the surface absorb water and expand. Some starch dissolves in the water, leading to bubbles forming when the pasta boils. For pasta cooked al dente, water penetrates the noodle’s center but the starch in the center doesn’t absorb much water, resulting in fully cooked but not overly tender pasta. The term “al dente” translates to “on the teeth.”

After a long hike, returning to cook quick and delicious meals at the campsite is a highlight. While most pasta boxes recommend cooking pasta in 4-6 quarts of boiling water, waiting for a large amount of water to boil can be tiresome for hungry campers. Experimenting with different quantities of boiling water, or skipping the boiling step altogether, can potentially save energy and time.

This Cooking and Food Science Fair Project aims to explore various pasta cooking methods to optimize time and energy consumption. So, gather your marinara sauce, meatballs, and Parmesan cheese to enjoy a delightful dinner!

Terminology and concepts

• flour
• gluten
• protein
• Elasticity
• kneading
• particle
• starch
• Rolling Boil
• control
• Average, mathematics

Question

• What is wheat flour? What is it made from?
• What is the kneading method for a flour and water mixture? Is practice required?
• What types of pasta did ancient Chinese make?
• How many pasta shapes are available today?

Resource

• Wikipedia contributor. (June 28, 2009). spaghetti. Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 2, 2009.
• Wikipedia contributor. (July 1, 2009). Pasta list. Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 2, 2009.

Visit the National Center for Educational Statistics’ website to create graphs.

• National Center for Educational Statistics. (nd). Create a graph. Retrieved June 2, 2009.

Materials and equipment

• Pot, 6 quarts (Qt.) or more, with lid
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• 12 packages of spaghetti, 1 pound (lb.) package
• Cooking spoon
• Big colander
• Oven Mitts
• Adult volunteers
• 9 Food Storage Buggy, 1 Gallon (Galla) Size
• Timer
• Lab Notebook
• Graph Paper

Experimental procedure

1. Place the pot under the shed, following the spaghetti package instructions to fill it with the recommended amount of water. Most spaghetti boxes suggest using 4-6 Qts. of water. Cover the pot with a lid and set the burner to medium.
2. Cook a box of spaghetti according to the package’s instructions. Record the time it takes to bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti to the pot and set a timer for the recommended al dente cooking time. Stir the pot occasionally to prevent the spaghetti from sticking together.
3. Once the cooking time is up, drain the spaghetti in a colander in the sink with the assistance of adult volunteers. Remember to use oven mitts.
4. Allow the cooked spaghetti to cool for a few minutes, then taste it with your volunteers and note the texture in your lab notebook. Store this spaghetti as a control for comparison with subsequent batches.
5. Rinse the pot, refill it with 2 Qts. of water, and bring it to a boil without a lid. Add a pound of spaghetti when the water is boiling, set a timer, and monitor the cooking process until the spaghetti is al dente.
6. Rinse the pot again, refill it with 2 Qts. of water, and add a pound of spaghetti without a lid. Stir the spaghetti while cooking to prevent sticking. Conduct taste tests to determine al dente doneness.
7. Repeat the process with 1 Qt. of water and continue testing various spaghetti cooking methods with fresh ingredients for accuracy and repeatability.

Data analysis

1. Plot the total time taken to cook spaghetti under different conditions by averaging the time of three trials for each condition. Record the data in the table as shown in Table 2 below.
2. Label the X-axis as “Cooking method” and the Y-axis as “Total time to al dente spaghetti.” Analyze which conditions result in the quickest pasta preparation time. Compare whether it is more efficient to boil water before adding the spaghetti or to cook the spaghetti directly in 4-6 Qts. of water. Enjoy your spaghetti with sauce and meatballs!

Variations

• Repeat the project using whole wheat spaghetti.
• Experiment with different pasta shapes and determine the best cooking method for each.
• Calculate energy savings based on the pasta cooking method developed.
• Measure the amount of water absorbed by pasta by weighing it before and after cooking.
• Explore methods to determine al dente pasta texture post-cooking.

This activity is conducted in collaboration with Science Buddies. You can find the original version of this activity on the Science Buddies website.