As with dried noodles, different varieties of pre-hydrated pasta have different cooking times. Since we were playing anyway we decided to soak rigatoni in flavored liquid. This time we used crushed tomatoes seasoned with a bit of salt and thinned out with some water. The rigatoni hydrated in this liquid for two hours before we cooked it in boiling salted water. It took three minutes to reach a perfect al dente. To serve we simply tossed the hot pasta with the juices from a fresh tomato salad, added some shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a few leaves of arugula. Quick and delicious.
