Cooking The Perfect Pasta
- By Southern Mom
- Published 03/1/2008
- Recipes
- Unrated
Even though relatively easy to cook, many people still have a hard time cooking pasta to perfection. In some cases, the pasta may be overdone or not done enough, either way it makes it difficult to eat. However, we are here to the rescue, we have the perfect recommendations for cooking your pasta to perfection each and every time, no matter what type of noodles you are using, macaroni, egg noodles, spaghetti noodles, you name it.
The best way to measure your water is by the noodle pound. Sounds funny does it not? However, what we really mean is for every pound of pasta you are cooking, you want to have at least four to six quarters of water boiling. In other words, if you are cooking two pounds of pasta, you want eight to twelve quarts of boiled water and so on.
Do not add the pasta before the water has boiled. Many people think that this saves time, the reality is it does not save you any time and can lead to sticky, gooey noodles. Therefore, make sure you wait until the water has come to a complete boil before you start adding your noodles. When adding the noodles be sure you do so
while stirring, then allow the water to return to its boiling state.
It is necessary to occasionally stir the noodles while you are cooking them, this keeps them from sticking to the bottom of the pan or sticking together. Whatever type of noodle you are using, it is likely that you took them out of a package. Each manufacturer provides you with specific directions on cooking their pasta, it is important to follow these directions as specified for the amount of time the noodles should be cooked.
If you are precooking noodles that are going to be included in a recipe that needs more baking or cooking, you should make sure to reduce the traditional cooking time by at least a third, so that the pasta does not become overcooked during the second process.
How can you tell if the noodles are done? It requires a taste test. You need to take one of the noodles and taste it. You want the noodle to be cooked through, but firm when you bite into it. Another important tip about noodles is to be sure that you do not allow the noodles to sit in the water after being cooked. They need to be immediately drained and the recipe followed from there. Many people believe that you need to rinse your noodles after cooking and draining, however, this is only true if you intend to make a cold dish or if you are not immediately serving the noodles.
The best way to measure your water is by the noodle pound. Sounds funny does it not? However, what we really mean is for every pound of pasta you are cooking, you want to have at least four to six quarters of water boiling. In other words, if you are cooking two pounds of pasta, you want eight to twelve quarts of boiled water and so on.Do not add the pasta before the water has boiled. Many people think that this saves time, the reality is it does not save you any time and can lead to sticky, gooey noodles. Therefore, make sure you wait until the water has come to a complete boil before you start adding your noodles. When adding the noodles be sure you do so
It is necessary to occasionally stir the noodles while you are cooking them, this keeps them from sticking to the bottom of the pan or sticking together. Whatever type of noodle you are using, it is likely that you took them out of a package. Each manufacturer provides you with specific directions on cooking their pasta, it is important to follow these directions as specified for the amount of time the noodles should be cooked.
If you are precooking noodles that are going to be included in a recipe that needs more baking or cooking, you should make sure to reduce the traditional cooking time by at least a third, so that the pasta does not become overcooked during the second process.
How can you tell if the noodles are done? It requires a taste test. You need to take one of the noodles and taste it. You want the noodle to be cooked through, but firm when you bite into it. Another important tip about noodles is to be sure that you do not allow the noodles to sit in the water after being cooked. They need to be immediately drained and the recipe followed from there. Many people believe that you need to rinse your noodles after cooking and draining, however, this is only true if you intend to make a cold dish or if you are not immediately serving the noodles.
