Tips for New Cooks - Pasta
On Monday I shared bread tips, on Wednesday is was chicken and today it's time to talk about pasta. Gotta love any food whose hardest instruction is boiling water. Cooking the pasta is the easy part; it's the sauces that can get tricky. The good news is there are lots of convenient ways to dress your pasta these days; bottled marinara, store-bought pesto, flavored olive oils with pre-shredded Parmesan cheese, etc.
* Make sure you add plenty of water to your large saucepan or stockpot for
boiling the water. Pasta needs lots of space to move around. And bring your
water to a full, rolling boil before you add the pasta.
* You can add a tablespoon of oil to the water to help prevent the pasta
from sticking together but it isn't mandatory.
* Adding some salt to the water is optional too, but some people add it to
add some flavor and to help the pasta absorb the sauce better.
* Only add one type or shape of pasta to your boiling water. If they are
different shapes, they will probably have different cooking times too.
* Pasta should be tender but still slightly firm to the bite (called al
dente). If you cook the pasta beyond this, it will still work out, the
texture will just be softer and potentially mushier.
* Drain the pasta in a colander in the sink and only rinse your pasta with
fresh water if you are making a cold pasta salad. The starch that is sitting on the outside of your pasta can help the sauce stick a little better. If you rinse your pasta, the starch will rinse away.
* Make your pasta a meal by using a sauce, and adding vegetables and/or cheese for a vegetarian option. For a meat option, add grilled or roasted chicken or other meat to the pasta and sauce. An easy option is to use frozen cooked shrimp,just defrost in the microwave and they're ready to add to your dish. Stuffed pasta like ravioli and tortellini is an easy way to make your pasta dish seem more like a meal. Just cover with sauce and you are good to go!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Pantry Makeover, Carb Lover's Survival Guide
Technorati Tags: cooking, cookingtips, pasta
* Make sure you add plenty of water to your large saucepan or stockpot for
boiling the water. Pasta needs lots of space to move around. And bring your
water to a full, rolling boil before you add the pasta.
* You can add a tablespoon of oil to the water to help prevent the pasta
from sticking together but it isn't mandatory.
* Adding some salt to the water is optional too, but some people add it to
add some flavor and to help the pasta absorb the sauce better.
* Only add one type or shape of pasta to your boiling water. If they are
different shapes, they will probably have different cooking times too.
* Pasta should be tender but still slightly firm to the bite (called al
dente). If you cook the pasta beyond this, it will still work out, the
texture will just be softer and potentially mushier.
* Drain the pasta in a colander in the sink and only rinse your pasta with
fresh water if you are making a cold pasta salad. The starch that is sitting on the outside of your pasta can help the sauce stick a little better. If you rinse your pasta, the starch will rinse away.
* Make your pasta a meal by using a sauce, and adding vegetables and/or cheese for a vegetarian option. For a meat option, add grilled or roasted chicken or other meat to the pasta and sauce. An easy option is to use frozen cooked shrimp,just defrost in the microwave and they're ready to add to your dish. Stuffed pasta like ravioli and tortellini is an easy way to make your pasta dish seem more like a meal. Just cover with sauce and you are good to go!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Pantry Makeover, Carb Lover's Survival Guide
Technorati Tags: cooking, cookingtips, pasta
1 Comments:
does eating dried mediterrean apricots that are dried using sulfur dioxide have any side effects like say skin rashes? f.s.
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