Since weight is always a consideration when packing for a trip to the backcountry, many of us skip out on fancier meals and choose to just bring the bare essentials on our hiking or backpacking trip. And while it is important to keep your load light, especially if you are travelling deep into the wilderness, there is no reason why, with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can't pack along the makings for a backcountry meal that is both delicious and lightweight.
There are many ways to get creative while planning your backcountry meals. One of the most practical foods you can bring along is pasta, since it really doesn't weigh much in its dehydrated form. And since you are boiling the water to cook the pasta in anyways, you can safely fill your pot from a stream or creek. While there are endless ways to make pasta, here is one recipe that will hopefully get your gears turning and your mouth watering:
Alpine Pasta
Ingredients:
2 4.4-ounce Knorr Butter & Herb pasta packets
4 ounces pepper-coated salami, diced
2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
6 green onions, chopped
5 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
At home: Chop onions and salami and grate cheese. Store your chopped ingredients in separate ziploc bags, including one for the tomatoes
Boil one cup of water and pour it over the tomatoes. While they are rehydrating, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta simmers, chop your softened tomatoes. The pasta shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook - simply add your pre-chopped ingredients and tomatoes to the pasta and stir!
Or, if you are camping in an area where water is scarce, try this alternative, using the same ingredients as you would for Alpine Pasta.
Pasta Risottata
Place one the pasta packets in a pan along with chopped tomatoes and onions. Toast them lightly and add just enough water to cover the ingredients. Keep mixing and add a little bit of water every one to two minutes, making sure all the ingredients are covered in water. When the pasta is cooked, add the second pasta packet, the cheese and the salami and mix everything together for a delicious risotto-inspired backcountry meal!
Alternatively, you can add some dried mushrooms along with the tomatoes, or use pecan nuts instead of salami!
To complement your gourmet backcountry meal, you can also try one of these backcountry cocktails that are sure to hit the spot after a long day on the trail.
Photo: Jordan Siemens/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Do you have a backcountry recipe of your own you would like to share with us? Let us know in the comments below or share your own gourmet wilderness cooking with us on Instagram using #brmblife for a chance to be featured on our feed and win prizes.