Cooking Pasta:
Do's
and Don'ts
 Recently
I was invited to
a
friend's house for a get-together.
She
wanted people to bring different dishes and the theme was
Italian. She
said she would make red sauce but also wanted pesto for her teen son
who is crazy about it. I volunteered to bring some, because I had fresh
basil in my garden.
When I arrived,
everything was ready, other people
had brought
a great array of foods, and it all smelled delicious. She hadn't yet
cooked the pasta; she was waiting for everyone to arrive. She
had the water on already, in a humongous pot, on a
burner that
did not give out
much heat -- for a couple pounds of pasta.
After
20 minutes everyone was there, but the pasta
water was
nowhere near boiling. I asked my friend if I could take over, and she
agreed.
I
transferred some of the simmering water from the
large pot
into a smaller one, put it on a larger burner, turned the heat on high
and waited until it came to a rolling boil.
I put
in two pounds of pasta, stirred it right away,
added some
salt, and covered it until it came back to a rolling boil. I uncovered
it as it was about to boil over, stirred it again, turned the heat down
just a little, and let it cook uncovered at a fast boil, stirring
frequently and tasting for tenderness.
Then
we drained it, divided it onto two platters,
and covered
one with red sauce and the other with pesto. Needless to say, it went
so fast that we had to cook more. Fortunately, we had sauces in
abundance.
Here are
the key points to cooking pasta -
any kind of pasta. First, keep in mind this is not an exact
science.
Cooking pasta does not require as
much water as many people
think; about 3 to 4
quarts of water for a pound of pasta is more than
sufficient. If you are cooking two pounds of pasta, don't double the
amount of water; rather, add half the amount (5 to 6 quarts).
Do
not
put oil in the water. It does not prevent the pasta from
sticking --
this is a myth, and the oil causes the sauce to slide off the
pasta. Don't
add pasta until the water is at a rolling boil. Add the
salt
to the water along with the pasta. Stir immediately and frequently at
first to prevent sticking.
Bring
it back to a rolling boil as soon as possible by keeping
the pot covered and the heat on high, but don't let it boil over. When
the boiling water starts to rise, uncover the pot and stir. Turn the
heat to medium-high, then finish cooking to the desired doneness.
Do
drain the pasta immediately after it's done. The easier
way
is to use a colander. Using forks or other utensils also works, but
does not drain as well and some water in the serving dish can
make for a watery sauce.
I
understand not everyone likes their pasta "al dente," but there
is a point when it is done before it becomes MUSHY (and if you
ever had pasta at a restaurant you'll know exactly what I mean).
For those who prefer their pasta cooked past al dente, be careful not
to overcook it; the taste will change. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
5
garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb.
spaghetti
Salt freshly grated pepper to taste
1/4
cup grated parmesan
Set a 5-quart pot of
water on high heat to boil. Meanwhile, peel and
mince the garlic. Place it in a small saucepan along with the oil and
cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes or until
the garlic is barely gold. Add a little salt and pepper, turn off the
heat, and set aside.
When the water comes to a rolling boil, put in the
spaghetti
and the salt, stir immediately, and cook according to the directions of
the package or as preferred. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a
serving bowl, pour the garlic and oil mixture over the top, stir and
serve immediately with grated cheese.
This is a family favorite; it's quick, and garlic
and olive oil
are always on hand in an Italian household. On many occasions when we
got home late and hungry, we made spaghetti aglio e olio and served it
with cheeses and sausages.
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