Pasta is a great base for healthy, nutritious and satisfying backpacking meals. It provides our body with glucose – the “fuel”, to power muscles and brain. As a complex carbohydrates, pasta digested more slowly that ensure a steady release of energy to keep you going throughout the day. Very low in sodium and cholesterol-free, pasta also is a good source of dietary fiber, B-group vitamins, and minerals.
Why have you to dehydrate pasta if it’s already dried?
That’s a fair enough question. There are three key reasons:
-
Dehydrated pasta can be done very quickly, saving both time and fuel;
-
You can cook it on the trail without draining water off;
-
You can mix dehydrated pasta together with other foods like dried meat and powdered sauces to create one-pot meals.
What kind of pasta to dehydrate?
You can use any pasta; however, smaller and shorter varieties tend to work much better . That’s because they don’t take up a lot of space such as angel hair, spaghetti or similar pastas. On top of that long-shape pasta is a bit harder to bag, with sharp ends that may damage the packaging.
How to dehydrate pasta
Dehydrating pasta for backpacking meals is a great way to reduce weight and ensure you have easy-to-cook meals on the trail. Here’s a step-by-step guide to dehydrating pasta:
Step 1
Cook your pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions.
Step 2
Drain water off. Rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch.
Step 3
Spread the cooked pasta on dehydrator mesh sheets or lined trays (for small pasta shapes) in a single layer.
Step 4
Dry pasta at 135F/57C for about 2-6 hours until hard (the exact drying time will depend on the type of pasta and the humidity of your environment)
Step 5
Put dried pasta into vacuum-sealed containers, jars or zip lock bags. Store in a dry, dark place at room temperature.
How to rehydrate pasta
To rehydrate the pasta on the trail, simply add it to boiling water and let it cook for a few minutes until it is tender. Alternatively, you can soak the pasta in cold water for several hours (or overnight) to rehydrate, then heat it up.
Recipes with dehydrated pasta:
Beef Alfredo
Pasta Primavera
Easy Cheesy Salmon Pasta
Easy Chili Mac
Good Old Mac and Cheese
Kale Mac and Cheese
Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Penne Puttanesca
Sardine Pasta with Crunchy Garlic Breadcrumbs
