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What?! Isn’t pasta already dried? Why would you want to make dehydrated pasta? Cooking pasta first and then dehydrating it for a backpacking meal lets the pasta to cook faster on the trail so all ingredients are cooked/rehydrated at the same time.
Have you ever had one of those “instant” macaroni and cheese cups that you just add water and microwave? What if you could have a similar meal on the trail, only better? Well, you’ll need dehydrated pasta.
Why is dehydrated pasta a good choice for a backpacking meal?
Pasta provides carbohydrates and some protein. The carbohydrates are the fuel for your body that you’ll need for hiking. Protein is necessary for the body to recover and rebuild muscle.
Here is the nutrition in a 2-ounce serving of pasta per the USDA:
- Calories: 211
- Carbohydrate: 43 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Fat: 1 g
While dehydrated pasta is a good choice for a backpacking meal, keep in mind that it will weigh a bit more than some other meal choices. It will also have more bulk if space is a concern when packing.
How should pasta be prepared for dehydrating?
Cook the pasta per the package directions to al dente. Al dente is when there is a small amount of chew to the noodle. If a noodle is soft, it has gone beyond al dente. The cooking times for al dente will vary based on the pasta shape, thickness, and brand.
Pro tip: For your backpacking meal, it is better to undercook the pasta since it will cook more when rehydrating the meal on the trail.
Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain it in a colander* and rinse it under cold water. This is to stop the pasta from cooking any further. Rinsing will also remove any extra starch that can cause the pasta to clump and stick together as it dehydrates.
What’s the dehydrating temperature and time for pasta?
Put the cooked and rinsed pasta on dehydrating trays. Ensure the noodles have some space so they dehydrate quicker and don’t stick together. Dehydrate the cooked pasta at a temperature of 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-4 hours.
What affects pasta dehydrating time?
- Crowding: too much pasta on a tray does not allow the air to flow as well around the noodles. They may also stick together if they are on top of each other.
- Humidity: higher humidity in the air causes a longer dehydrating time.
- Noodle thickness: thicker noodles may take longer to dehydrate than thinner noodles.
When is the pasta done dehydrating?
The pasta will feel dry and hard when it’s done dehydrating, similar to how uncooked pasta feels. If you feel any dampness, the pasta is not done dehydrating. Flip the pasta over to check both sides to ensure its fully dehydrated. You don’t want mold to grow in your backpacking meal if you add pasta with moisture.
Pasta varieties by their numbers
To get an appropriate serving size, measure your dry pasta with a kitchen scale. The following is the dry and dehydrated amounts for a 2-ounce serving:
| Pasta Type | Dry Amount per 2 oz serving | Dehydrated Amount per 2 oz serving |
| Elbows | A little less than ½ cup | ½ cup |
| Flat egg noodles | A heaping 1 cup | 1 ¼ cups |
Why is dehydrated pasta a larger quantity than dry pasta? Well, the dry pasta takes on water as it cooks. It expands and gets larger. While things shrink when they are dehydrated, the cooked pasta shrinks, but not back to its dry size.
How can dehydrated pasta be used?
- Use dehydrated pasta in backpacking meals
- Use at home for a quick cook meal.
Share in the comments how your dehydrated pasta turned out and how you plan to use it!