COOKING RECOMMENDATION
The
Perfect Pasta
Pasta is the one dish a lot of people
claim to be able to cook. It's true,
pasta is relatively simple to prepare.
After all, anyone can boil water, right?
Even so, there are a few simple tricks
to making this most pedestrian of
dinnertime staples soar.
Don't scrimp on the boiling water! Pasta
likes to have "breathing" room, with
plenty of space for moving around. If
possible, use an 8-quart pot with 5-6
quarts of water for a pound of pasta.
It's not necessary to add oil to the
water-just use plenty of water and stir
occasionally to prevent sticking. Gently
stir pasta immediately after adding to
water.
Salt the water to add flavor and help
pasta absorb the sauce, about 1-2
tablespoons salt to 6 quarts water.
Add pasta slowly to water, scattering
the smaller shapes, and gradually
pushing in the long strand types. Don't
break pasta in half.
Don't combine two types or sizes of
pasta in the same pot of water. One kind
will probably be ready before the other.
One of the biggest no-nos in pasta
preparation is overcooking. Don't do it!
Take a cue from the Italians, and boil
your pasta only "al dente," which means
"to the tooth." In other words, it
should be 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!
Save a couple cups of cooking water
after pasta is done to add to your sauce.
Starch in water binds the sauce, helping
it adhere to the pasta.
Do not rinse pasta unless you're using
it for a cold pasta salad. Otherwise
you'll rinse the starch off.
Serve pasta immediately in warm
dishes.
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