Kitchen

[Imaoldhippie]

I always use some olive oil with any pasta.  I read from one of the many cooking/recipe sites I visit that it is not true to the sauce will not stick to the pasta if you use oil or butter.  All the pasta dishes I have cooked the sauce adheres just fine.

I guess it depends on what you were taught, and your experience.

[CamilleP]

Thank you, everyone.  I did use a large amount of water, ten cups, which is what the package recommended, and I stirred constantly, during the whole time I was cooking the pasta.  I didn't put olive oil in the water, as I don't for any other pasta, so perhaps I will try that if I decide to try again.  However, I think I just won't try to cook shells any more, I'll stick to macaroni for my mac-n-cheese dishes and my Mom's goulash.  I have tried both Chick-A-Pea garbanzo bean pasta and Banza garbanzo bean pasta shells, and both of them stuck together, so I am just going to give up on shells.

[bajsf]

larger pot more water for the shells to swim around while cooking.  Lots of salt and NO oil.

[loriqvc]

@CamilleP - I would guess the garbanzo bean pasta is the problem; its goal is usually to offer a gluten-free pasta option, but it has no natural starches to create the structure expected from pasta and therefore has multiple starches added to it, which increases the likelihood that it will be gummy and sticky. I tried the elbow form a couple years ago and found it to be far more chewy than standard pasta, so even though it didn't happen for me when cooking it, I am not surprised to hear it sticks to itself. If you need a gluten-free pasta, I would recommend trying other kinds to see if something works better for you—fortunately, there are many options on the market nowadays.

[CamilleP]

@loriqvc   I think you are right on the nature of the ingredients being the problem.  Unfortunately, I am not dealing with something like celiac, so I need to remove wheat gluten (All grains have glutens, it's just wheat gluten that's so allergenic for some folks),  I'm dealing with a DH who's a type II diabetic, so he can't have carbs.  Nothing other than bean flour pastas have a low enough glycemic index that he can eat more than a tablespoon or two of them, and that's not enough pasta to even matter.  So I will just have to quit trying to use the shell shape, and stick to the shapes that work.  I can only find Banza elbows at the "WallyWorld" grocery store in town, and it's out of my normal way, but I'll just have to suck it up and shop there.  I do give them credit for one thing, they carry far, far more of a selection of diabetes-friendly products than any other store in town. 

Thanks again, everyone.  Since the opinion on oil in the water is quite contradictory, I will just give up the shape.

[Glittergal]

Salt the water when it comes to a boil, pause, then add your shells and stir. Stir again intermittnetly. No problem.

[loriqvc]

@CamilleP - It is likely that you've already looked into this option, but whole wheat or whole grain pastas sometimes have a good balance of carbs to other ingredients that might fit your needs. I know Barilla makes whole wheat medium shells that cook well and actually taste and have a "bite" very similar to standard pasta (sorry to sound like a commercial for Barilla, but they really do make great pasta). Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[CamilleP]

@loriqvc   I have tried whole wheat pastas, but they spike DH's blood sugar almost as badly as refined wheat pasta.  He isn't taking insulin or other injectibles, only oral meds, so he can't be as flexible in his carbs as if he were on insulin.  He can't eat rice or bread, either, we have to use keto substitutes that have lots of fiber.  So it's either bean pasta or no pasta at all.  Thanks, though!

[bells4me]

I really don't care for pasta but when I do cook it you have to use a lot of water and stir well. Also salt well.  I don't add oil because it prevents any sauce from sticking well.

[shopped out]

I find stirring keeps this from happening. Make sure that the water us boiling Rapidly. When the pasta goes in the boiling reduces so I bring the fire up. Might consider changing the brand