What does a "cup" mean when making pasta?

[Red Squirrel]

This is NOT a parody thread! lol

When they say "2 cups of pasta" do they really mean 2 measuring cups or two glasses? 2 measuring cups does not seem like it would make a lot of pasta. This particular recipe I'm looking at is apparently suppose to feed multiple people, but if I really only put 2 cups like it says I really can't see how that's going to make a lot. A typical plate is probably more like 5 cups.

 

[dullard]

Pasta expands. Plus you have your sauce to add to it. Two cups of pasta should feed multiple people.

Few recipes ever use the word "cup" to mean "glass" since everyone has different sized glasses.

A serving size is 1/2 cup of dry pasta. So that reciepe has 4 servings . Note: one person often eats 3-4 servings (total) at a meal. So if all you ate was that pasta (no sauce, no side dishes, nothing else), that would feed one person. If you had the standard sauce and proper balanced side dishes for their other servings, then that recipe would feed ~4 people.

 

[ElFenix]

uncooked != cooked

edit: measuring by weight instead of volume is so much better but no one ever does that.

 

[FoBoT]

8 OZ.
so the box or package of pasta will be 16 ounces or something, that means use the whole box, 2 x 8 OZ = the whole box pictured here
i.e. 1 LB. of dry pasta

 

[El Guaraguao]

/facepalm

 

[sygyzy]

They are talking about pasta that is not spaghetti or long noddles. 2 cups of rice for example or 2 cups of elbow macaroni.

 

[PottedMeat]

That's kind of a weird way for a recipe to specify pasta amounts. Usually I see '16oz' or '8oz' pasta which usually means half or a full package of dry pasta.

 

[spidey07]

It's a cup by volume. Uncooked unless specified. Not weight.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hmm guess it makes sense once you add the sauce, chicken and other stuff. The one I'm using is the type that looks like an auger so not that much can fit in 1 cup. I want to oversize the recipe for a pot luck so guess I can just double everything.

 

[yhelothar]

8 OZ.
so the box or package of pasta will be 16 ounces or something, that means use the whole box, 2 x 8 OZ = the whole box pictured here
i.e. 1 LB. of dry pasta

nah brah... nah
cup is 8 fl. oz, which is a unit of volume, not weight
that box likely has a helluva lot more than 2 cups.

 

[HannibalX]

This is NOT a parody thread! lol

When they say "2 cups of pasta" do they really mean 2 measuring cups or two glasses? 2 measuring cups does not seem like it would make a lot of pasta. This particular recipe I'm looking at is apparently suppose to feed multiple people, but if I really only put 2 cups like it says I really can't see how that's going to make a lot. A typical plate is probably more like 5 cups.

Srysly? Never took a grade school science class? It means the Standard measurement of a cup by volume, which is 8 fluid ounces.

Strike that, they want you to take some random cup from your cupboard and use that.

 

[HannibalX]

That's kind of a weird way for a recipe to specify pasta amounts. Usually I see '16oz' or '8oz' pasta which usually means half or a full package of dry pasta.

Is gallon a strange measurement too? What about a quart.

 

[biggestmuff]

Holy fuck. so much fail in here.

 

[waffleironhead]

Just be happy your recipe is not measuring pasta in handfuls. I got a few recipes passed down to me that had that on it. Apparently grandma just measured out a handful of elbow pasta per person when making mac and cheese.

 

[WelshBloke]

Is gallon a strange measurement too? What about a quart.

Well in context its a weird measurement.

Like a gallon of wood, or a quart of bricks.

Dried pasta measurements should be by weight, anything else is just daft.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Only ATOT can take something as simple as pasta and make it so very complicated.

 

[BladeVenom]

Pasta expands.

This. Hasn't everyone made spaghetti as a kid? ...and ended up making too much.

 

[F1N3ST]

Just wing it, and hope for the best.

 

[Crono]

This. Hasn't everyone made spaghetti as a kid? ...and ended up making too much.

Yep. Same thing with rice and other dried foods (like beans) that are hydrated when cooked and are made into dishes.

 

[sandorski]

Cup Pasta = 10lbs = Alternator Size = Bulk


I would assume 1 Cup Dried Pasta, but really measuring Pasta is rather unnecessary. Just eyeball it.

 

[IronWing]

A cup holds two meat balls so just pour the pasta into your hand until it feels about right and use that much pasta.

 

[sandorski]

A cup holds two meat balls so just pour the pasta into your hand until it feels about right and use that much pasta.

Just don't expect any Alfredo sauce....

 

[Zargon]

maybe this will help:
http://www.barillaus.com/Home/pages/Measuring_Pasta.aspx

 

[JulesMaximus]

Grind the pasta up to a fine powder and measure it that way...it's the only way to be sure.

 

[compman25]

Grind the pasta up to a fine powder and measure it that way...it's the only way to be sure.

Ass. Now I'm eating yellow cement instead of Mac and Cheese. :biggrin: