Randomguy Posted March 22 Share #1 Posted March 22 ? There are pros and cons, I feel. Discus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted March 22 Share #2 Posted March 22 yes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 22 Share #3 Posted March 22 Nope, but I can see doing it with spaghetti. Not sure why folks (and I) don't but we usually just dump the box into the pot of water and call it a day. Would only take 5 secs to break them in half. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BuffJim Posted March 22 Popular Post Share #4 Posted March 22 I did until I was married. Then I learned that’s totally wrong. Who knew? 1 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #5 Posted March 22 If it’s very long, yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 22 Author Share #6 Posted March 22 I normally do, this time I didn't. It seems weird to have half your pasta sticking up out of your boiling water. I also don't like endless swirling of pasta just to get it on your fork. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #7 Posted March 22 4 minutes ago, Randomguy said: I normally do, this time I didn't. It seems weird to have half your pasta sticking up out of your boiling water. I also don't like endless swirling of pasta just to get it on your fork. It’s a nuisance when eating a hand-pulled pasta Chinese restaurant dish. Love the skill of the noodle maker! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted March 22 Share #8 Posted March 22 9 minutes ago, Randomguy said: I normally do, this time I didn't. It seems weird to have half your pasta sticking up out of your boiling water. I also don't like endless swirling of pasta just to get it on your fork. That’s why you should eat pasta boobs, no swirling required. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted March 22 Share #9 Posted March 22 Long pasta like spaghetti and fettuccine I break in half. I find it sticks to the sauce better and it doesn't take much time to wrap it around a fork. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Totin Jack ★ Posted March 22 Share #10 Posted March 22 I did, because my Dad did. Then I learned why you shouldn’t from a dear lady I met in Naples Italy. She said all pastas have a soul. When you break the strands in half, you break their soul. Yeah, long strands don’t easily fit in the pot of water and one end sticks out. But in less than a minute in the pasta hot tub, the noodles soften and it all fits into the pot to cook (usually 11 minutes for al dente). If you don’t like long noodly appendages on your plate pick another pasta; there’s plenty to choose from. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted March 22 Share #11 Posted March 22 No. thirds. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted March 22 Share #12 Posted March 22 31 minutes ago, BuffJim said: I did until I was married. Then I learned that’s totally wrong. Who knew? I'm gonna guess breaking pasta wasn't the only thing you learned you did wrong then........ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ChrisL Posted March 22 Popular Post Share #13 Posted March 22 Spaghetti no, I just wait a minute or two and push it down into the water. But…. When I was learning to make my mom’s meatball soup, I was looking all over for the short spaghetti noodles she used. Couldn’t find them anywhere. So I asked her, where do you get the short spaghetti noodles for meatball soup. At Stater Brothers (LGS). I went there and didn’t see them. She then goes to her cabinet & pulls out regular spaghetti noodles, these, and then just break them… 🤦🏽♂️ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 22 Author Share #14 Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said: She said all pastas have a soul. When you break the strands in half, you break their soul. You took the advice of a lunatic, it seems. I can be persuaded by reasonable arguments, but I tend to get a little questiony when someone like the Italian chick gives a vague answer without real reason behind it. It would have been more persuasive to me if she said something non-hippielike, such as "It is the way Italians do it, maybe try it for a while and see if you prefer it that way, too" or somesuch, Maybe someone can give a real answer at some point, but there is nothing to suggest that breaking it gives a worse result or not breaking it gives a better result. Tradition as a reason for doing something is silly, in my mind. "Yeah, we have always done the bullfighting thing, it is tradition" only means that it is either an unexamined tradition, or that it is horrible excuse to be cruel to animals, for instance. Sometimes traditions are fine and fun, though, but it helps to drag these things into the light of day and really take a magnifying glass to them from time to time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 22 Share #15 Posted March 22 Yes, I always have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffJim Posted March 22 Share #16 Posted March 22 1 hour ago, 12string said: I'm gonna guess breaking pasta wasn't the only thing you learned you did wrong then........ Did you know it’s possible to load a dishwasher wrong? If you’re married, you know. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted March 22 Share #17 Posted March 22 Have you ever tried to break a raw elbow in half? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted March 22 Share #18 Posted March 22 Pros Cons 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentonMakes Posted March 22 Share #19 Posted March 22 Yes, every time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #20 Posted March 22 2 hours ago, maddmaxx said: No. thirds. That's a bit too fragmented. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted March 22 Share #21 Posted March 22 46 minutes ago, Square Wheels said: Have you ever tried to break a raw elbow in half? Yes, but the guy kept twisting out of my grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kirby Posted March 22 Popular Post Share #22 Posted March 22 Cook it? They make microwaveable pasta. 2 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Far ★ Posted March 22 Share #23 Posted March 22 No. FWIW, I try to buy the semi-fresh pasta in the cooler section. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 22 Share #24 Posted March 22 1 hour ago, BuffJim said: Did you know it’s possible to load a dishwasher wrong? If you’re married, you know. AND SHE STILL DOES IT THE WRONG WAY!!!! 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #25 Posted March 22 20 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: AND SHE STILL DOES IT THE WRONG WAY!!!! I'm lost re dishwasher loading.... is it so calamatious for her vs. your technique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted March 22 Share #26 Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Randomguy said: it helps to drag these things into the light of day and really take a magnifying glass to them from time to time. ? How does one do that to a bull? Ants, sure, we used to do that all the time, but doing that to a bull seems like a great way to break an elbow in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 22 Share #27 Posted March 22 19 minutes ago, shootingstar said: I'm lost re dishwasher loading.... is it so calamatious for her vs. your technique? To my wife, yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #28 Posted March 22 24 minutes ago, Ralphie said: To my wife, yes! It must be debate over efficiency or maximizing cleanest dish and cutlery wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 22 Share #29 Posted March 22 7 minutes ago, shootingstar said: It must be debate over efficiency or maximizing cleanest dish and cutlery wash. I let it go and savor that she seldom bothers to reverse my over the top tp refill to her preferred under the bottom. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 22 Author Share #30 Posted March 22 34 minutes ago, 12string said: ? How does one do that to a bull? Ants, sure, we used to do that all the time, but doing that to a bull seems like a great way to break an elbow in half. Never stage a bullfight in pasta water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisL Posted March 22 Share #31 Posted March 22 2 hours ago, shootingstar said: I'm lost re dishwasher loading.... is it so calamatious for her vs. your technique? Fortunately we don’t have this issue, if anything I’m more anal about dishwasher loading as WOChrisL will load stuff haphazardly & then it won’t get clean… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 22 Share #32 Posted March 22 18 minutes ago, ChrisL said: Fortunately we don’t have this issue, if anything I’m more anal about dishwasher loading as WOChrisL will load stuff haphazardly & then it won’t get clean… Admittedly I don't have a super set pattern every time for every dishwasher load. However, I have learned never to put a pile of tall big dinner plates near front of the bottom rack load ..that's for sure and other truisms. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Airehead Posted March 23 Popular Post Share #33 Posted March 23 Only heathens break spaghetti. If you want short pasta buy rigatoni or some other pasta. 3 1 1 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted March 23 Share #34 Posted March 23 Never. I do dump the bottom bits in, so that is as close as it gets to cut pieces. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 23 Author Share #35 Posted March 23 This thread has convinced me that breaking pasta is the right thing to do, not a single valid point for not breaking it is listed. I believe that uniform cooking will produce better results. If it takes ten minutes for your pasta to cook to al dente, then the half sticking out of the water will be slightly crunchy because it will miss a full 10% of the cooking time, and your pasta will be inconsistent. It could never be as good as it could be if you don't break it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted March 23 Share #36 Posted March 23 37 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said: Never. I do dump the bottom bits in, so that is as close as it gets to cut pieces. A reasonable cook. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 24 Share #37 Posted March 24 11 hours ago, Randomguy said: This thread has convinced me that breaking pasta is the right thing to do, not a single valid point for not breaking it is listed. I believe that uniform cooking will produce better results. If it takes ten minutes for your pasta to cook to al dente, then the half sticking out of the water will be slightly crunchy because it will miss a full 10% of the cooking time, and your pasta will be inconsistent. It could never be as good as it could be if you don't break it. But then there is the crunchiness of burnt schpaghetti. So a tad of crunchiness might be nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 24 Author Share #38 Posted March 24 2 hours ago, Ralphie said: But then there is the crunchiness of burnt schpaghetti. So a tad of crunchiness might be nice. Well, there is that. I just like to know reasons is all - if I am doing something because everyone else tells me to, that just feels like religion to me. I do think it easier and cleaner and more sensible to break it, but I know not everyone thinks like me. Speaking of crunchy spaghetti, have you ever done this? I will eventually, just haven't yet... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 24 Author Share #39 Posted March 24 On 3/22/2024 at 4:04 PM, Ralphie said: her preferred under the bottom. That is divorceable behavior, in my book! How does anyone live with themselves after setting it up under the bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted March 24 Share #40 Posted March 24 I think longer pasta is easier to get/keep on a fork. So no, I don’t break my spaghetti/linguine or Angle Hair noodles. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 24 Author Share #41 Posted March 24 7 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said: I think longer pasta is easier to get/keep on a fork. So no, I don’t break my spaghetti/linguine or Angle Hair noodles. What if it was twice as long, or as long as a broomstick or a skyscraper? There's no two ways about it: Italian food has a lot of rules. However, some of those rules are made to be broken, just like this extra-long pasta from Italy. It's hard to visualize just how long our extra-large Giadzy Pasta shapes are without a frame of reference. At 22 inches in length, they're almost as long as two foot-long sandwiches laid end-to-end, or four dollar bills lined up in a row. That's more than twice as long as a standard noodle! That supersized span isn't just a flight of fancy, but a reminder of the early days of pasta manufacturing in Italy. Before it was easy to cut pasta into smaller shapes with bronze dies and the machinery available today, local pasta makers would dry their pastas in much longer forms and hang them to dry over dowels or even clotheslines! It was up to each customer to break them by hand to their desired length, usually to fit into whatever pot they were cooking in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted March 24 Share #42 Posted March 24 4 hours ago, Randomguy said: What if it was twice as long, or as long as a broomstick or a skyscraper? I guess if it were twice as long I would break it in half. Or just keep buying what I have been and not need to fret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted March 25 Share #43 Posted March 25 21 hours ago, Prophet Zacharia said: I think longer pasta is easier to get/keep on a fork. So no, I don’t break my spaghetti/linguine or Angle Hair noodles. This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 25 Author Share #44 Posted March 25 23 hours ago, Prophet Zacharia said: I think longer pasta is easier to get/keep on a fork. So no, I don’t break my spaghetti/linguine or Angle Hair noodles. WRONG! Smaller chunks don't need endless twirling trying to fit one strand on the fork, then watching it fall partially off as you lift it. Soooooo much easier with shorter pasta lengths, and you don't look like a toddler trying to master a fork for the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted March 25 Share #45 Posted March 25 7 hours ago, Randomguy said: Soooooo much easier with shorter pasta lengths, and you don't look like a toddler trying to master a fork for the first time. Maybe you can get a spork so that all of your eating is similarly effortless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 25 Share #46 Posted March 25 On 3/22/2024 at 11:33 AM, BuffJim said: I did until I was married. Then I learned that’s totally wrong. Who knew? your wife. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 25 Share #47 Posted March 25 Spaghetti I normally do, but not always. Other types of pasta, seldom if ever. I mean who is going break elbow macaroni in half? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 25 Author Share #48 Posted March 25 32 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said: Maybe you can get a spork so that all of your eating is similarly effortless. I would like video of your linguini or spaghetti flailings, just to confirm my suspicions. Extra napkins for you, naturally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted March 25 Share #49 Posted March 25 7 hours ago, Randomguy said: twirling trying to fit one strand on the fork, then watching it fall partially off as you lift it Eat the spaghetti from the outside edges of the pile. It takes less twirling and you get a sensible portion on the fork. My mom broke spaghetti in half because the amount she cooked for nine people better fit into the pot she had when it was shorter. My pasta pot is big enough for four portions of whole spaghetti strands, so I don’t break it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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