Different cultures have different ways of making rice. Some cultures just boil the rice, others may add spices or nuts. Greeks often have rice made with some oil, onion, and salt, or some combination of vegetables. We have tried numerous recipes, as we believe many people have. There are so many different ways to make rice, making it a versatile staple to cook with. We do that regularly, try new things to learn more about what we like or don't like. What we have found is that different types of rice work for different dishes and for different people.
In the Greek home it isn't uncommon to have rice and potatoes in the same meal. Sometimes, they are even found in the same dish! This dish of rice with noodles made us think about rice and potatoes, rice and beans, rice and lentils. Rice with pasta seemed like a good idea. And, the fact that we had this small handful of unused angel hair pasta left in our pantry, not enough to make a meal, but enough to add to something else like a soup or a rice dish. If we were to open the next package, we would be stuck with a little amount left over again, which would then take up the cabinet space to keep collecting the little bits of pasta until we get enough to make a meal. Well, this recipe cured that issue for us. We had that little bit of angel hair pasta, which was perfect for this recipe, and we usually have rice on hand! Now, all we have to do is cook and eat.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
1 ¼ cups rice
2 ½ cups water
½ tsp salt
2 TBSP oil
½ cup angel hair pasta
This recipe is ready in about 30 minutes, which is appealing for a busy day. It can be served as a side dish, or as a base to something else. Because it is easy and fast, it is best to make in small quantities as needed.
First, start by crushing the angel hair pasta. The bundles are really nice looking, but we need little pieces for this recipe. Sometimes, the bundle of angel hair is referred to as a "nest" of pasta. And, there is an easy way to make the nest turn into small pieces. Just put it in your hand and squeeze. This will turn the noodles into small, broken pieces of various sizes. That really adds some character to the final dish. You crunch up the noodles in your hand until they are the same size as the broken noodles found at the bottom of the package. If you want, you can put the noodles in a bag and hit the bag with a mallet, but your hand works just as well.
Some people (like us) usually rinse our rice, before using it. For basmati rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice, we rinse, as well as parboiled rice.
Now it is time to cook. Begin the process by heating a little oil in the pan. The 2 Tablespoons should be enough to coat the bottom of the pan. During a non-fasting period, you may want to use butter, since that will give a richer flavour and colour. Heat the oil to hot, but not smoking hot.
Put the noodles in the hot oil. You can hear the sound of crackling when the noodles first hit the oil, and then that changes to a sizzling sound. Stir regularly while the noodles turn colour to a golden brown. Please note that once the noodles start changing colour, the process moves quickly. This should take about 3 minutes to get all the noodles browned. Stir often or the noodles will stick to the bottom of the pan!
Now, add the water to the pan and bring it to a boil. If you are increasing the quantity of noodles, do not increase the water! Angel hair pasta takes very little time to cook in water because it is so thin. Also, because it is a fine noodle, angel hair does not absorb much water, so the amount of liquid should not change. The water measurement goes to the rice, and the ratio is 2:1 water to rice. Some recipes require a different proportion, but as a general rule, the water is two times the volume of rice.
Bring the water up to a boil then add the rice. Add the salt and pepper, too. Now, you are making rice the traditional way. After adding the rice, make sure the liquid reaches a full boil again. This may take a moment, depending on the quantity of water and the amount of rice. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to a low to medium-low, and put a lid on the pot. You now have about 15 minutes to wait until it is fully cooked, and this is a good time to prepare any other part of the meal, or to clean up.
After about 15 minutes, most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice. And, you will want to stir the pot to make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom. Leave the lid on the pot and turn off the heat. Any liquid that is left will be absorbed, and as the rice sits for a few minutes, the steam will finish cooking the rice.
Once all the water has been absorbed, you will see a nice combination of colours -- the golden brown angel hair pasta and the fluffy white rice. Some may find this final product a little oily, but that is part of the dish. Before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Then, you serve this with a smile, knowing that you have made a lovely side dish in a short period of time. We have not tried this dish with different types of rice. Wild rice or even brown rice may be interesting in the combination, but both take longer to cook than white rice. We haven't tried basmati or jasmine rice but we may try these varieties in the future. But, if you do try a variety of rice that is not long grain, parboiled, please let us know how it turned out.
** A side note: We went to a restaurant with Middle Eastern food the other week, and it occurred to me that this restaurant always serves rice with angel hair pasta. When I called the restaurant to ask if this was vegetarian or vegan, the person on the line told me, "No way. Have you seen how beautiful the yellow colour is? This is chicken base, madam." I thanked him for his time and information and ended the call. Perhaps if we make it again, we may use a vegetable stock to see if that makes a difference. Our rice has a light, but enjoyable flavour from the salt, pepper, and fried noodles and oil; perhaps a boost of additional flavours from a vegetable stock may bring this dish to a different level of yumminess.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4).
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