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    The Purposeful Pantry Β» Dehydrating

    Author: Darcy Baldwin β€’ Published: Jun 1, 2022

    How to Dehydrate Pasta

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Dehydrate Pasta? It's already dry, isn't it? Dehydrating pasta is beneficial for those creating hiking/backpacking/camping meals, or creating truly 'instant' meals for the pantry. Give it a try!

    A Dehydrated meal in a jar next to dehydrated pasta

    Much like dehydrating rice, it's easy to create an 'instant' pasta by dehydrating.

    Why Dehydrate Pasta?

    Drying pasta does seem strange when most pasta is already dry when you purchase it. But there are a few reasons why dehydrating pasta may be a great idea for you!

    • Fresh Pasta - drying fresh pasta in the dehydrator takes less time than air drying on the counter. *
    • Hiking/Camping/Backpacking - already cooked and dried pasta requires less water to carry in or to source for meals. It can also be soaked without heat in order to create a meal.
    • Instant Meals - with meals in a jar or other 'instant' soup applications, having already dehydrated pasta makes the instant faster as well as reduces water needs. This is especially good for emergency meals.
    • Reduces starch - for any of these meals, cooking pasta from the original dried package can leave a lot of starch behind that you may not enjoy. Using dehydrated pasta reduces that starch greatly.

    Pro Tip: For safe food handling, it is recommended to cook pasta that contains raw eggs before dehydrating

    How to Dehydrate Pasta

    1. Cook pasta according to box directions. For truly instant pasta, you'll want it fully cooked. If you are using homemade, cook it as well.
    2. Dunk into cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking process, much like blanching.
    3. Place on dehydrator trays and dry at 135F / 57C and dry from 6 to 12 hours, depending on the density of the pasta
    4. Store in an airtight container

    Yield:

    Β½ Cup = Β½ Cup. They don't reduce in size the way fruit and vegetables do.

    Before and after comparison of dehydrated pasta

    Rehydrate:

    1:1 parts water to pasta

    Boiling water will yield quicker results, but even soaking in cold water will work, it will just take a little longer to do.

    Store

    Store in airtight containers just as you would regular pasta. It's all that is needed.

    Types of Pasta to Dry

    You can dehydrate almost any type of pasta! Shaped pasta work better than long or thick pasta for drying and for storage.

    • Elbow
    • Spaghetti
    • Orzo
    • Angel hair - tip: Do this in nests to help storage.
    • Rotini
    • Farfalle
    • Cous Cous
    • Penne

    Types of Pasta to not use

    • Lasagna
    • Manicotti
    • Ravioli
    • Shells
    • Tortellini

    Meal in a jar mix from dehydrated ingredients

    How to use Dehydrated Pasta

    You can use dehydrated pasta in almost any way you use cooked pasta

    Meals in a jar - the recipes are endless and make perfect meals on the go, emergency meals, camping/hiking meals. They are also great for gift giving at the holiday season, as well as giving elderly folk who can't do a lot of cooking any longer but would love a hot-cooked meal without all the work!

    Frequently Asked Questions about dehydrating pasta

    Isn't pasta already dried? What's the point?

    The point is to make pasta more friendly for low-water situations. Hiking/camping, emergency meals, on the road meals, etc. Less water is require to cook, less starch is released, and less energy is needed to prepare.

    Will this work for homemade pasta?

    Yes - cook it first, then dry as per the instructions above.

    Is this good for long-term storage?

    While dehydrating pasta is a great solution for making meals to fit emergency situations, or hiking and camping trips, or for meals in a jar, it is unnecessary for long-term storage. It isn't going to make the pasta last longer, and you're doing the work twice if you aren't using it in one of the above situations.

    Before and after comparison of dehydrated pasta

    Dehydrate Pasta for Meals in a Jar

    Dehydrate pasta to make meals in a jar or hiking/camping recipes easier and quicker to prepare when there may be little water available.
    Print PIN THIS! Rate
    Course: Main Course, Preserved Food
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Drying Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 1
    Calories: 220kcal
    Author: Darcy Baldwin

    Equipment

    • Dehydrator
    • Stock pot

    Ingredients

    • Pasta

    Instructions

    • Prepare pasta per package directions
    • Dunk into cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking process, much like blanching.
    • Place onto dehydrator sheets (not touching)
    • Dry at 135F / 57C for 6-12 hours until fully dry
    • Store in an airtight container for up to two years.

    Rehydrating

    • Rehydrate with 1:1 hot water
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    Video

    Darcy's Tips

    Rehydrating:
    If using in a meal in a jar or a soup mix in a thermos, no additional rehdyration needs to happen, but you may need to add a little extra water.
    If rehydrating on its own 1:1 hot water is best, but you may find adjustments need to be made if your rice is still hard, it may need more time and a little extra water.
    Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ΒΌ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ΒΌ dried.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 220kcal

    Nutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ΒΌ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ΒΌ dried.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @thepurposefulpantry or tag #thepurposefulpantry!

    Β©ThePurposefulPantry. Photographs and content are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe's link is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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    Dehydrated Pasta and meal in a jar for hiking or camping

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily says

      August 21, 2022 at 12:54 pm

      Hi, thanks for the great idea. How long does it take to reconstitute the pasta?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        August 21, 2022 at 12:59 pm

        It will depend on your pasta and how hot the water is. No more than fifteen minutes in most cases.

        Reply
    2. Heather says

      June 15, 2022 at 3:04 am

      So, if we're not using the pasta for hiking/camping/emergency use, you would advise to air dry homemade pasta, correct?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        June 15, 2022 at 1:42 pm

        No- feel free to use your dehydrator (cook it first if it contains eggs). What I don't suggest is cooking then drying commercially purchased pasta simply for storage - it isn't going to extend the shelf life.

        Reply
    3. Allison says

      June 06, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      Why don't you recommend dehydrating shells?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        June 08, 2022 at 8:16 pm

        I will clarify large shells for travel. Small ones are fine.

        Reply

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    Darcy Baldwin of The Purposeful Pantry.

    Howdy! I'm Darcy! I've spent twenty years learning how to stretch our budget and stock our family's pantry by dehydrating food. You can do it, too!

    Learn how I can help you β†’

    You can get my new book, Dehydrating Basics & Journal to help you get started on your dehydrating journey!

    Dehydrating Basics & Journal for Beginners and Beyond front cover
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