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| Cooking Pasta |
| Use a large saucepan or stockpot so that the pasta can move freely in the boiling water. Allow approximately 4 quarts of water and 1 TB. of salt for 1 lb. of pasta. Some people like to add a little oil to the water to keep the pasta from sticking together, but this step is not necessary unless you are cooking stuffed homemade pasta. In that case, 1 TB. of olive oil in the water reduces the friction and keeps the stuffed pasta from splitting. |
| First, bring the water in the saucepan to a boil over high heat, then add the salt. If you are cooking short shaped pasta, such as penne, tortellini, or shells, add it all at once. Bring the water back to the boil and start your timing. If you are cooking long strands of pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or lasagna, take a handful of pasta and dip one end in the water. As the pasta softens, coil it until submerged, then start your timing. Cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil, until the pasta is al dente, which means "firm to the bite." Stir the pasta occasionally to prevent sticking. |
| Average cooking times are: |
| Just before the end of the recommended cooking time, lift a piece of the pasta out of the water with a fork and test it by biting into it. Be careful, it's hot! The pasta should feel tender with a little resistance to the bite. The firmness of dried pasta is different from that of fresh pasta but neither should be allowed to become too soft or it will loose its ability to carry the flavor of the sauce that will be added. If the pasta is done, take it off the heat immediately. If not, continue cooking and test it again in another minute. |
| When the cooking is completed, drain it, pouring it out of the saucepan into a colander. Give the colander a few vigorous shakes to remove all of the water. Do not rinse the pasta with water unless you are using it in a chilled pasta salad. Turn the drained pasta into a serving dish and toss with a sauce. The sauce should be evenly distributed with the pasta. However great a sauce may be, it cannot sit on top of the pasta or at the bottom of the dish. If it is necessary for the pasta to sit for a short time before serving, return it to the saucepan and add 1-2 TB. of olive oil or butter to it, toss, and cover to keep warm. Add your sauce to the pasta just before serving. |
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| It is important to know how to cook pasta properly. Undercooked pasta is chewy and tastes raw. Overcooked pasta has a mushy texture. |
| * Fresh Pasta (1-3 minutes) * Fresh stuffed pasta (3-7 minutes) * Dried long strands (8-15 minutes) * Dried short shapes (10-12 minutes) |
