Adventures in Food
Wok your pasta
Break out the wok! Why haven’t I been using it more? Actually my last one ended up in the donation pile after I weeded out essential kitchen tools from non-essentials during a move. I just hadn’t been using it all that much.
But since we’ve been getting into stir-fries lately (Happy Chinese New Year everyone!), I just had to give woks another try. First, they’re pretty inexpensive as far as pans go. Second, the newer versions aren’t like my old standard–the bottom is flat and then the sides curve upward (my old one was hard to balance on a gas stovetop).
After reading a recent article in the March issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray about using your wok for more than just Asian dishes, I figured it was time. Enter the wok. For quick-cooking food, the wok beats out my skillet, I’m happy to say. And as far as pasta dishes go it’s so much easier to toss a sauce and pasta together in a wok versus the flat-bottomed, spill-over-prone skillet.
Last night I made one of my favorite pasta dishes–gnocchi with ricotta, spinach & fontina cheese–in the wok. It sauteed everything perfectly.
Are you ready to get woking? (Forgive me, I had to use at least one lame pun.)
The key with using the wok for any dish is that the ingredients have to either cook fast or already be cooked before you add them in. So for pasta, you should cook it first in a deep, stockpot and then toss it with your sauce in the wok and any other ingredients you want to add in, like maybe diced ham, fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese…
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about 2 years ago
What a great idea…why didn’t I ever consider using my wok for more than just stir fries?? Makes perfect sense. And your recipe sounds really delicious.
about 2 years ago
It’s nice to have such a large pan to work with too–so much easier for really stirring the ingredients in together.
about 2 years ago
Cool idea, would never have occurred to me. I just ditched my ancient, non-stick wok. Can you recommend a brand you like?
about 2 years ago
I just picked up an inexpensive one at the store–non-stick. I’d love to get a cast iron one so I could season it like my skillet.
about 2 years ago
I was always wok-averse b/c I thought you could only use it effectively on high high high heat. This sounds more doable, especially since the pasta is already prepared. This would be a great way to merge ingredients and flavors.
about 2 years ago
I thought the same. But you’re right that the key is all of the ingredients need to cook quickly (or already be cooked) and then you can use it almost as a big, warm mixing bowl to meld the flavors together.
about 2 years ago
I have a deep pan I use like a wok a lot. It’s almost identical to an actual wok I once had.
about 2 years ago
Way to blend Chinese and Italian cuisine! It sounds very cool.
about 2 years ago
Just a warning about non-stick coatings. Not good for kids, no matter what the salesperson maintains. That being said I will try this with my faithful wok that is not non-stick.
about 2 years ago
Yeah–I love fusion food–and techniques…
about 2 years ago
I tried to find a non-non-stick variety but I couldn’t find one at the time. I’m looking…
about 2 years ago
I used to have one and also gave it away. I just hated cleaning if afterward. My sink was too small.
about 2 years ago
We used to have 2 woks and now we don’t have ANY. I need to hit the used stores and find myself a new-to-us wok. I don’t recommend non-stick. I agree with Alexandra that these kinds of pots are VERY bad for your health.