Tip #1: Start with high-quality dried pasta. Barilla is always a good bet, but there are other inexpensive imported pastas that are as good or better. Dried pasta keeps for a long time, so stock up when your favorite pasta is on sale! If using fresh pasta, you should check it earlier. It will not take but two to three minutes for your fresh pasta to cook through.
Tip #2: Be sure to use a pot that holds a large amount of water. Pasta will cook evenly and won’t stick together if it is able to move around freely.
Tip #3: Salt! The secret ingredient to a flavorful pasta dish is flavorful pasta. The secret to flavorful pasta is salt in the cooking water. Fill the cooking pot with water, salt it liberally, and then put it on the heat. Once the water is warm (but not hot) and the salt has dissolved, taste it. If it’s not pleasantly salty (like a nice broth), add more salt. You’ll need at least a good handful of kosher salt for a five-quart pot of water, if not more. (Be careful: granulated salt is much more potent than kosher—it’s easy to over- or under-salt recipes if you switch back and forth between the two.)
Tip #4: Cook the pasta at a high enough temperature, and leave the pot uncovered. The other secret to pasta that doesn’t stick together is cooking it at a high simmer or low boil. If the water is in motion, the pasta will be, too, and it will not be able to stick to the bottom of the pot or to itself. If using small delicate pastas, such as tortellini or ravioli, lower the flame to a rolling boil so that your pasta will not break. Be sure to leave the lid off because if you cover your pasta it will come to a rapid boil, which we don’t want and it will also boil over. Never place your pasta in the pot before the water boils! The outcome will be overcooked and gooey noodles!
Tip #5: Always use one type of pasta per pot. Never cook more than one type of pasta in the same pot. Due to different sizes and shapes, pastas cook at different times.
Tip #6: Have your sauce ready before the pasta is done. Restaurants know the secret to making dishes come together perfectly. In the home kitchen it is a good idea to have your sauce warming on the stove before the pasta is cooked.
Tips #7: Do not rinse your pasta or toss with olive oil! If you plan on dishing out the pasta at the table or having it sit in a serving dish or platter for a while, you will need to do something to keep the pasta from fusing together before you serve it. Some people toss the pasta with olive oil. Although this gives your pasta a nice sheen, the best thing to do is to ladle a bit of sauce into the serving platter or dish and toss thoroughly. You can then place your sauce on top without having a sticky lumpy mass of pasta.
Tip #8: The cooking time on the package can be deceiving. Pay attention when cooking pasta. It’s color will change and it will become more pliable. As soon as it starts acting and looking more like cooked pasta than uncooked (approximately two to three minutes before the shorter cooking time on the box) scoop some out with a fork or a slotted spoon, let it a cool a second and taste it. Continue tasting it every minute until it’s ready to drain.
Tip #9: Drain your pasta BEFORE it is al dente. I take my cookies out of the oven just before they are completely baked. Cookies continue to cook after they come out of the oven and pasta is no different. It continues to cook in the colander or your serving dish, so if you drain the pasta when it’s the perfect consistency it will be overcooked by the time you serve it. When you taste your cooking pasta, you are looking for a consistency that is *almost* right, but is still slightly too firm. It shouldn’t be crunchy, but it should be more than al dente. If you are making a dish that will continue to cook further like lasagna, you should take it out two minutes early, when it’s even a little undercooked.
What is al dente pasta anyway? Perfectly cooked Italian pasta is firm and has a consistent, even texture. It is not crunchy or hard even at the center, but it is also not at all mushy or soft. When you take a bite from a dish of al dente pasta, each strand or piece of pasta will be distinct and will hold up in your mouth as you chew it instead of immediately mushing together.
Did you know?
I bet you thought that Italians gave birth to pasta. The Chinese actually invented the noodle over 4,000 years ago. The Romans got hold of this wonderful creation and added their own spin to it by substituting semolina flour over rice flour. Pasta making has changed very little since the early days, except for some automation that was brought about by pasta machines. Barilla is my personal favorite brand and we always use their whole grain pastas in our house!
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