Noodles make a hearty, delicious side dish or main meal. You can whip them up in five minutes and enjoy with butter and cheese, or dress them up with a special sauce when you have guests over. They’re wonderful in soups and casseroles, too. Different types of noodles require different cooking methods, but they’re all equally easy to prepare. Read on to learn how to cook wheat or egg noodles, rice noodles, mung-bean noodles, or buckwheat (soba) noodles.
Cooking Wheat or Egg Noodles
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1Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill up a big saucepan and place it on a burner over high heat.
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2Drop a pinch of salt in the water. This helps flavor the noodles and helps the water boil at a higher temperature, reducing the cooking time. -
3Place the noodles in the boiling water. If you have long, thin noodles, like spaghetti, you might need to break them in half to fit them all in the pot.- Don’t add the noodles until the water has come to a rolling boil, or they’ll end up getting soggy and mushy.
- Add the noodles gently so you don’t splash hot water back onto your skin.
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4Boil the noodles until tender. Depending on how thick the noodles are, you may need to boil them from anywhere from 5 minutes to 12. Read the instructions on your noodle package to determine the correct time. -
5Test to see whether the noodles are done. Pull out one noodle with a fork or slotted spoon. Taste the noodle. It should be soft enough to easily chew, but still have a bit of bite, meaning the noodle is ‘al dente.’ You can also try these other ways of testing whether the noodles are done:- Toss a noodle against the wall. If the noodle sticks, it’s ready.
- Look at the ends of the noodles. If they’re white compared to the rest of the noodle, they need more time.
- Hold the noodles up with a fork. If they swing easily back and forth, they’re done.
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6Remove the noodles from heat and drain. Pour the noodles into a colander to drain the water away. -
7Put the noodles in a bowl and add a few drops of olive oil. Stirring in just enough oil to finely coat the noodles keeps them from sticking together. -
8Dress the noodles or use them in a recipe. Wheat and egg noodles are delicious with plain butter, olive oil, and salt and pepper. You can also use them as part of a casserole, add them to soups, or top with pasta sauce.
