Pasta primer
1 servings
Ingredients
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Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, with a tablespoon of olive oil added to keep pasta from sticking together. After adding pasta, stir once.
Pasta should be cooked until it is just tender - not too hard and not too soft - or AL DENTE ("to the tooth"). Taste for doneness as it cooks. Cooking time starts when the water returns to a full boil after adding pasta.
Dry pasta takes longer to cook than fresh. Begin tasting after it has cooked for 5-6 minutes, depending on the shape and size. Fresh pasta may take no longer than 2-3 minutes.
For hot pasta dishes, rinse just-cooked pasta under warm water to remove starch, if desired. (A bit of starch holds the sauce better.) Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pasta is best when drained and served with sauce immediately.
For best flavor when making pasta salads, toss pasta with a vinaigrette-style dressing while it's still warm.
Rule of thumb: heavy sauces for heavy, shaped pastas and thick ribbons; light sauces for small, shaped pastas and thin ribbons.
Save a small amount of hot cooking liquid to toss into the pasta if it seems too dry, depending on the sauce.
When serving cheese, use only freshly grated. Invest in a large piece. It keeps refrigerated for a long time when well wrapped.
It's fun and practical to serve pasta in shallow bowls.
For best results, use a large tossing bowl, so the pasta and sauce are not cramped.