Preparing Pasta For Casseroles

First of all, thank you for your patience.  I am recovering from my surgery, which went smoothly and busy caring for my mother, who was just referred to Hospice.  My posting will be occasionally sporadic, but hopefully beneficial.

In order to cut down on preparation time when making casseroles that contain pasta I have learned to bypass the step of boiling the pasta.  Fill a bowl or the casserole that you will be using with very hot tap water.  Soak your pasta in this water for twenty minutes.  It should now be soft enough to use when constructing your casserole.

Twenty Minutes in Hot Water

This method works well in casseroles that use wet ingredients, such as lasagna.  You will still need to boil pasta for dry ingredient casseroles like macaroni and cheese.  Add a little bit of water to the bottom of the casserole before baking if you are unsure.

During the summer, with such hot weather, it is nice to avoid heating the kitchen with a hot stove top and boiling pot.

God bless,
Pam