Instant lunch (half an hour to make and eat) for unexpected visitor. S

[HungryC]

Pastas (I usually have 5 or 6 varieties), beans, canned fish (tuna, sardines, herrings, anchovies, etc.), tomatoes, chicken stock, artichokes, olives, olive oils, vinegars are always in the pantry. And a hunk of parmesan is always around. Easy enough to whip up a nice pasta dish.

While I love a good improv pasta dish, it's not really possible to cook dried pasta in less than 25 minutes, is it? At least 10 minutes to go from tap to boiling, plus another 7-12 minutes, depending on the pasta shape. I cook quick pasta dishes on many weeknights, and it's about 35 minutes from the time I fill the pot to putting it on the plate. Seriously, is there a faster way to cook pasta? Are you using a pressure cooker, special microwave device, or do you have a hot water dispenser or what?

[Arey]

I took the op to mean something that could be plated, served and eaten in half an hour. I 've noticed that the longer a thread runs the further away from the op the suggestions get. I'm just waiting for the caviar and blinis to show up. Surely everybody has a can or two of beluga caviar, in their pantry , creme fraiche in the fridge, and blinis in the freezer.

Edited September 12, 2013 by Arey (log)

[dcarch]

I'm confused. How do you do lemon chicken, rice and broccoli in 15 minutes? It takes me around 20 to cook rice.

How? This is how! Sorry guys. OP asks about instant lunch.

dcarch

[Anna N]

I'm confused. How do you do lemon chicken, rice and broccoli in 15 minutes? It takes me around 20 to cook rice.

How? This is how! Sorry guys. OP asks about instant lunch.

dcarch

Bravo! And why not? Love it. Anna N.

[gfweb]

I keep smoked turkey breast, pork loin and pulled pork in the freezer. Thaws fast and works in sandwiches and salads. <br />

[quiet1]

Pastas (I usually have 5 or 6 varieties), beans, canned fish (tuna, sardines, herrings, anchovies, etc.), tomatoes, chicken stock, artichokes, olives, olive oils, vinegars are always in the pantry. And a hunk of parmesan is always around. Easy enough to whip up a nice pasta dish.

While I love a good improv pasta dish, it's not really possible to cook dried pasta in less than 25 minutes, is it? At least 10 minutes to go from tap to boiling, plus another 7-12 minutes, depending on the pasta shape. I cook quick pasta dishes on many weeknights, and it's about 35 minutes from the time I fill the pot to putting it on the plate. Seriously, is there a faster way to cook pasta? Are you using a pressure cooker, special microwave device, or do you have a hot water dispenser or what?

Angel hair? I've successfully cooked that in a pinch with boiling water from an electric kettle (which boil fairly quickly) and a bowl and something to cover the bowl with to hold the heat in. Don't recall the timing exactly but it's pretty quick. (Likewise things like some rice noodles.)

[huiray]

Pastas (I usually have 5 or 6 varieties), beans, canned fish (tuna, sardines, herrings, anchovies, etc.), tomatoes, chicken stock, artichokes, olives, olive oils, vinegars are always in the pantry. And a hunk of parmesan is always around. Easy enough to whip up a nice pasta dish.

While I love a good improv pasta dish, it's not really possible to cook dried pasta in less than 25 minutes, is it? At least 10 minutes to go from tap to boiling, plus another 7-12 minutes, depending on the pasta shape. I cook quick pasta dishes on many weeknights, and it's about 35 minutes from the time I fill the pot to putting it on the plate. Seriously, is there a faster way to cook pasta? Are you using a pressure cooker, special microwave device, or do you have a hot water dispenser or what?

Angel hair? I've successfully cooked that in a pinch with boiling water from an electric kettle (which boil fairly quickly) and a bowl and something to cover the bowl with to hold the heat in. Don't recall the timing exactly but it's pretty quick. (Likewise things like some rice noodles.)

I myself still cook any kind of Italian-type pasta in a pot of boiling/simmering water, but as you mention certain types of fine (i.e. skinny) rice noodles ("mei fun") I'll simply put in a big bowl, pour boiling water over it, cover (with a plate, for example) and leave for 3-4 minutes and simply decant off the water and have noodles ready for eating. Dress with a savory sauce or mixture or whatever of one's choice.

Here's one brand of "mei fun" that I like and buy regularly (Tiger brand; made in Taiwan) that work well this way. There are others - some work very well with the simply-steep method, some less well (or might need a longer steep time and/or be a little more "tough").

*Very* fine grades of "mei fun", or fine (white) wheat noodles (Chinese type, some Japanese types) would fall apart and/or congeal into a blob if one tried to simmer them then drain them, and certain types are basically barely passed through boiling water before placing into soup (not drained and tossed w/ sauce, same "congealed blob" phenomenon will occur).