Do you have any uncooked macaroni pasta leftovers after the holiday season? Some of you might store it up until the next use. Well, don’t just put it yet on your cabinet, because you don’t need to wait for another holiday season to boil it; today, I will share a recipe that will transform your macaroni pasta into a delicious crunchy snack!
Ingredients:
- Macaroni Pasta
- Oil
- Salt
- Flavor Powder (Cheese, Sour & Cream, Spicy Barbecue or depends on your choice)
Procedure:
First, prepare all your ingredients. There are no exact measurements for the ingredients; it's up to you to decide how many grams of pasta, tablespoons of oil, and salt, as well as the amount of flavor seasoning, to use. Trust me, you’ll figure it out as you go.
Once all the ingredients are ready, pour water into a pot and place it over medium heat. There's no exact measurement for the water either—just ensure it's enough to submerge all the macaroni pasta.
Add salt to the water and stir until it dissolves. For my preference, I add 1 teaspoon of salt. Typically, the purpose of the salt is to give a bit of flavor to the otherwise bland macaroni. However, since I’m already using flavor seasoning, I don’t need much salt. Again, the amount is entirely up to your taste.
Along with the salt, pour a little oil into the water. The oil acts as a lubricant to prevent the pasta from sticking together. However, keep in mind that too much oil will make the pasta greasy, while too little won’t effectively serve its purpose.
Let the water come to a boil.
Note: Don’t add the macaroni pasta to unboiled water, as this will affect its texture.
When the water starts to boil, add the macaroni pasta to the pot. Cook until the pasta is ready. According to the packaging of my pasta, 9 minutes is sufficient for it to be cooked. Other brands may have different cooking instructions, so check accordingly. I personally consider the pasta ready when it’s chewy and firm to bite.
Immediately remove the pasta from the boiling water to prevent overcooking. Use a strainer to drain the water, then rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down and prevent sticking.
Congratulations! You’ve completed the initial steps. From this point onward, the process may take over an hour, especially if you’re using smaller equipment.
Originally, this cooked macaroni pasta should be sun-dried for three days. However, waiting that long is impractical. Additionally, sanitation could be an issue since the pasta would be exposed outdoors, where dust and other foreign objects might contaminate it. For sanitary purposes, I used a microwave oven. You can also use a larger oven to speed up the process, though I haven’t tried that method myself, so I’ll stick to what I’ve used and tested.
Transfer the cooked macaroni to a flat, narrow plate, arranging them with enough space between each piece. Proper spacing minimizes sticking and helps the pasta dry more quickly.
After arranging the pasta on the plate, microwave it for 3 minutes. Once done, take the plate out and flip the macaroni. Microwave it for another 2 minutes. This ensures both sides of the macaroni dry properly. Repeat this process until all the pasta is dried.
Once dried, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the dried macaroni pasta until it turns golden brown.
Set the fried macaroni pasta aside and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, take out a Tupperware container to use for mixing the macaroni and flavor powder.
Once the macaroni pasta has cooled, mix your desired flavor powder with the fried pasta in the container. I have cheese, sweet and sour, and spicy barbecue flavors available here, but you can choose whichever flavor is available in your area. There’s no exact measurement for the flavor powder—add as much as suits your taste.
Place your flavored fried macaroni pasta in a bowl and shared it with your family and friends. You can also enjoy it alone, too.
And viola! You transformed your excess macaroni pasta into a delicious crunchy snack. Take a bite and enjoy!
