Cooking Question

[Lube]

Can't imagine why you'd need to let it cool, but I'm not chef, either.

 

[gsdx]

I would think it would become a problem only if you were to add mayonaise of salad dressing to it, especially if the pasta is still hot.

I have often made pasta dishes and added tuna while it was still hot. I would eat my meal and put the rest into the refrigerator for 'leftovers'. I've never become ill because of it.

 

[Lube]

^ Yes, mayonnaise would definitely be a problem. It would separate, and you'd get an oily sticky mess.

Been there, done that!

 

[NickCole]

Yes you should let pasta cool before adding the other ingredients for a pasta salad. It really does make a difference. Same is true of potato salad. The exception is adding oil/vinegar mixtures -- if you add olive oil to warm pasta it keeps the pasta from sticking into a lump, if you add oil/vinegar/wine/chicken broth to warm potatoes for potato salad the potatoes will absorb the liquids much better than when the potatoes are chilled.

Generally speaking it's better to have the ingredients a similar temperature when combining them. Not always -- like for stovetop cooking (stews, soups, etc), adding something cold or even frozen, like vegetables, doesn't harm the flavor. But if, for example, you're making mashed potatoes it's better to warm the milk and butter before adding them. It makes a smoother and better melding of tastes, textures and flavor.

I don't think "poisoning" is relevant in the literal use of the word, but rather that adding cold tuna to warm pasta diminishes the taste and texture of the finished product, thereby "poisoning" the dish.

 

[Snickers52]

The tuna is not going to spoil by putting it in with freshly cooked pasta. I assume you used canned tuna. Canned tuna is precooked.

As far as the difference in taste 15 hours later, it most likely would taste better because the flavors would have time to really comingle and even out.

 

[Scrub]

I don't think you will hurt yourself by mixing you foods into hot pasta. The other foods may bleed into the pasta. If using the pasta for a cold dish, I run the pasta under cold water for a few minutes and then mix in the other food items

 

[khushibagh]

Although it's unlikely, there is probably a greater risk of food poisoning your way Joe because the tuna is going to say warm (even in the fridge) for a longer time if you add it to warm pasta than cold pasta. Warm = better environment for bacterial growth. Still I think the risk is minimal and in fact you didn't get sick.

 

[NickCole]

I don't think you will hurt yourself by mixing you foods into hot pasta. The other foods may bleed into the pasta. If using the pasta for a cold dish, I run the pasta under cold water for a few minutes and then mix in the other food items

While that works if you're in a rush, rinsing pasta under cold water right after cooking strips out the starch and the pasta is then unable to absorb the other flavors of the salad.

If you're using any kind of vinaigrette mixture in the pasta salad, add that (even chilled first in the fridge) to the hot pasta and that'll help cool it a little faster.

 

[blackbeltninja]

I usually let pasta cool because otherwise it steams up the inside of the container and makes everything a little watery. Not hugely watery, but enough to be noticeable and annoying.

Never heard about poisoning, though.

-d-

 

[TopThruster]

I like to let my pasta cool when making a cold pasta dish before adding other ingredients.

 

[Newbie_69]

Totally Agree with Vanman the chef.
Foods that are in the danger zone should not be more than 4 hours according to Hazard Analisis Critical Control Point(HACCP).By that time, bacteria would have multiplied to a dangerous quantity that have the potential to cause food poisoning.

Mixing the hot pasta with cold tuna(room temperature) will bring the hot pasta to cool down a little bit and bring it to the danger zone.When covered, the heat nor the coldness from the fridge cannot penetrate or go out as easy as if it were to be opened and let cool.(Btw, the temperature of the frindge will go up as well and cause even higher risk for the other foods kept to be contaminated.)So, the worry comes when it mantains at the danger zone for a long time. In fact, when it goes into the fridge, the pasta won't get cold evenly.The middle part of the pasta will always remain at the danger zone (around 40-60c) for quite some time.That's when the bacteria starts to multiply if the container was not being sanitized before use.Not to mention the tuna as a high protein food(perfect food for bacteria to grow.).But then again, immune system and other factors play important roles in determining food poisoning in you.This is just a guideline for Food Safety.

Happy cookin'!

 

[lukylok]

And if you want to be clever, you don't put warm things in your fridge, you let them cool before.

 

[slobone]

And if you want to be clever, you don't put warm things in your fridge, you let them cool before.

Why is that?

 

[The_Aviator]

And if you want to be clever, you don't put warm things in your fridge, you let them cool before.

Why is that?

Yup, I've always been told not to put warm/hot things in the fridge. Apparently if you put something warm/hot in the fridge it warms up the air inside the fridge and the cool air that usually circulates around the fridge becomes warm. Defeats the object of having a fridge then! hehe.

 

[pacz]

You always want to rinse pasta with cold water if you are going to make something cold out of it. This stops the pasta from continuing to cook, thus overcooking it.

 

[Corny]

It really does make a difference. Same is true of potato salad. The exception is adding oil/vinegar mixtures -- if you add olive oil to warm pasta it keeps the pasta from sticking into a lump, if you add oil/vinegar/wine/chicken broth to warm potatoes for potato salad the potatoes will absorb the liquids much better than when the potatoes are chilled.

but the oil closes the pastas pores, and it will absorb other taste giving things much worse.
(eg you make pasta salad with mayonaise - you boil the pasta with a bit oil to not clumb, the mayonaise later will have much more trouble soaking the mayonaise and it's taste)

 

[lukylok]

Quote:
Originally Posted by slobone
Why is that?



Not only your fridge becomes warm, but it shortens its life and increase a lot your electricity bill.

 

[NickCole]

but the oil closes the pastas pores, and it will absorb other taste giving things much worse.
(eg you make pasta salad with mayonaise - you boil the pasta with a bit oil to not clumb, the mayonaise later will have much more trouble soaking the mayonaise and it's taste)

Is that right? I hadn't known that.

To be honest, for standard pasta salad I rarely stir oil into my pasta to keep it from sticking because I'm usually in the kitchen and just giving the pasta a little stir now and then keeps it from sticking, and also cools it faster. Can't say I've noticed any difference in flavor when I DO use oil to keep it from clumping, though. Maybe I'll do an experiment and see.

Trying to think now ... I use some sesame oil to keep the noodles from clumping when I'm making cold sesame noodles (because I use angel hair pasta and when that clumps, forget about it!) and the noodles definitely absorb the flavor of the peanut sauce -- or maybe it just sticks to it so well it doesn't matter. Also I usually pour olive oil over warm pasta when I'm going to make a cold pesto concoction -- but, again, all the flavor's in the single pesto ingredient and since pesto sticks to the pasta it doesn't matter if the pasta actually absorbs flavor. Hmmm. Seems like something that wouldn't be a mystery if I'd gone to cooking school!

 

[Corny]

i didn't go to cooking school either, but i learned that in italy
they were literally screaming when i put oil in the pasta water