PASTA

6/3/20

Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be made from several kinds of base flavoring. Cooking it is basically the same though and it is a staple carbohydrate for many main courses, salads, and sides.

The basic categories include the long noodles – like spaghetti and angel hair, ribbon cut – like bow tie and lasagna, short cut or hollow – like manicotti or Rigatoni, decorative – like shell and wheel, stuffed like ravioli.

Each kind begin hard or rubbery and require cooking. Some (the lasagna and ravioli) can be baked or boiled.

Pasta Tips:

When boiling, it is best to add some salt to the water and bring it to a brisk boil before adding the pasta to it. First things first. Pasta needs “breathing” room to cook evenly and to keep from sticking together.

Use a deep pot and at least 4 quarts of water per pound of pasta.

Bring the water to a full, rolling boil. Before dropping in the pasta, add salt to the boiling water. If you don’t season the cooking water, the pasta may taste flat — no matter how salty the sauce may be.

The temperature will drop once you add the pasta, so make sure the water is at a full boil. And don’t break pasta in half.

Gently stir short pasta immediately after adding it to water but let spaghetti and long strands soften for a minute before stirring.

No need to add oil to the water; you’ll just be pouring good olive oil down the drain. To prevent sticking, just use plenty of water and stir occasionally.

Don’t combine two types or sizes of pasta in the same pot of water — they will finish cooking at different times.

Cook your pasta until its tender but slightly firm to the bite. The longer you cook pasta, the mushier it gets. Don’t rely on the clock to evaluate doneness. Use those teeth! If you’re using cooked pasta as an ingredient in a recipe — like baked ziti or lasagna — it can be even firmer; it will absorb liquid and cook more in the oven.

If you’re tossing the pasta with a sauce, reserve a cup or two of the cooking water before you drain the pot. The starch in the cooking water can thin a thick sauce and help sauces stick to the noodles.

Drain the pasta in a colander. If you’re making a cold pasta salad, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Otherwise, return the colander to the pot and cover to keep it warm.

Serve pasta immediately in warm bowls. Ladle a scant half cup of sauce in the bottom of each bowl, top with pasta, and add more sauce.

Overcooking it the biggest pasta killer.

Buttered noodles are a great side or a snack that can be served all by itself. Add cheese or sugar or other spices to taste.

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