How To Make Pasta Out Of Rice Paper With Hardly Any Effort

When the craving for pasta and/or noodles hits, there is little to do except give into it. But what if you head to your pantry and discover that not only are you out of spaghetti, you're out of all ramen, udon, soba, and even glass noodles? Well if you have a package of rice paper (you know, that stuff you use to make fresh spring rolls, like these Three Ladies Brand Rice Papers), you're in luck, because the only other thing you need is water, and you'll be on your way to making noodles in no time.

Just stack three to five rice paper wrappers on top of each other, submerge them in warm water until soft (warm water will help them stick together better than cold), lay them flat on a cutting board, and then slice them to your desired thickness. If you find you're having trouble getting your knife through cleanly, you can brush or spray a little oil onto the blade. Then make a sauce of your choice (or reach for a favorite bottle) and toss the noodles in it. You can eat them like the Italians do spaghetti, or slurp 'em up Japanese ramen-style. Oh, and the best part? Rice paper is gluten-free. So if you have gluten sensitivities or celiac disease, these noodles are for you, and likely won't disappoint you like other gluten-free pastas.

Rice paper is actually really versatile, and if you're living a gluten-free lifestyle, these circle sheets can come in pretty clutch. For example, you probably didn't think you'd ever be able to enjoy dumplings again, right? Wrong. Mix up your filling and then dip one or two rice papers into cold water until soft. Place them on a flat surface, put a portion of the filling in the middle, and then wrap them up into a little square or rectangular parcel. Pan-fry them until crispy, and, when they're ready, dip them in dumpling sauce and enjoy!

They can also be used to make chips — and there's no working with wet rice paper to boot. Just use kitchen shears to cut the sheets into smaller pieces, heat up oil in a skillet, and then drop them in. In about 10 seconds they'll puff up and fold into a wavy bowl-like shape, perfect for use as a vessel for any dips or salsas. (If you're feeling super adventurous, you can even try turning rice paper into the TikTok viral croissants.)