Wednesday, November 12, 2014
15 Tips for Preparing Delicious Pasta
9:22 AM | 
Posted by
STAR Fine Foods |
Cooking pasta might seem
easy, but to master it there are some important steps to take. Using the fool-proof tips listed below, based on traditional Italian cooking methods, you are sure to be pleased with the results:
1. Wait until the 11th hour. It’s essential to cook the pasta at the last minute, just before serving.
2. Water, water and more water. Use 3.5 ounces of
pasta for one liter of water.
3. Boiling.
Bring water to a boil over high heat.
4. The perfect balance. Use two
teaspoons of salt with 3.5 ounces of pasta and one liter
of water for perfect proportions.
Pour the salt into the water and reduce heat when the water
boils. If you pour too much salt, put a potato in the pot to absorb the excess.
If you find you’ve added too little salt,
balance it with the sauce, NEVER add
salt to the boiling water or put it directly on
the pasta.
5. Not a drop of oil! NEVER pour oil
in the cooking water. The fat in the oil
prevents the sauce from mixing with the pasta. The only exception is lasagna, because
the oil will prevent the sheets from sticking together, which is especially important if you’re not
using a high-quality pasta.
6. Add the pasta as soon as the water starts to boil. Calculate 3 ounces of uncooked
pasta per person (3.5 ounces if you’re not going to mix
it with any sauce), and add it when the water starts to
boil. Then stir immediately. If the pasta is “short” (penne, fusilli, farfalle,
etc.) pour it all in at once. If the
variety is “long” (spaghetti, fettuccini, etc.)
pour it in slowly, adding portions at a time.
7. Cooking time. It depends on the shape and type of
pasta but there are no hard and
fast rules. Follow the directions on the package. If you
want to serve the pasta cold, cook it for one to two
minutes longer than indicated.
8. Keep it uncovered. Never cover the pot during cooking.
9. Stir well... and often. Do it every
three minutes with a wooden spoon
for short pasta and with a wooden fork
for long pasta.
10. Test it. One minute before the pasta is
finished cooking, try it. If the texture is tender
outside but slightly resistant inside... it’s already al
dente. Bravo!
11. How to drain? Always use a classic colander. Keep two tablespoons of cooking
water nearby in case you want to dilute the sauce or sauté
the pasta in a pan.
12. To rinse or not to rinse, that is the question... Rinsing pasta makes it lose the
starch that helps the sauce
to stick to most varieties. But if you are baking the pasta (e.g. lasagna, cannelloni), or are
using it in a salad, you MUST rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking and
to remove the excess starch.
13. The finishing touch. After the pasta is drained, pour on
a bit of extra virgin olive oil if you aren’t using a sauce.
14. Sauces. For
better consistency, pour the pasta
into previously heated sauce (in a pan),
rather than pouring the sauce into the pasta.
15. Get it out fast. Serve the
pasta immediately for the best taste and texture.
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