Cooking pasta is a simple matter. It seems to be.
But like any elementary business, this process has its tricks. Basics, without which good pasta cannot be made.
How much pasta should be in one serving?
Depends on what kind of sauce the pasta will have. If it is thick and satisfying, then 90 grams is enough. If, for example, spaghetti alio-olio, then you need 120 grams.
What kind of pot should I cook pasta in?
Depends on how much pasta you cook. The more pasta, the larger the pot should be.
How much water do you need to cook pasta?
At least three times the volume of pastes. And it is better if it is four or even five times more. Accordingly, it is necessary to proceed from this and picking up a pan. A large amount of water is needed so that the pasta cooks better. If it is not enough, then the starch that is released from the pasta will lower the temperature of the water: it will no longer be 100 degrees, but 95 or even less, and the pasta will cook longer.
How much salt should be put in water?
I always eyeball it, but in general the water should be saltier than you think is normal. The standard amount is about 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water.
Why do you need so much salt?
Salt makes pasta delicious on its own, no matter how much salt is in the sauce. And the pasta, of course, will not take all the salt from the water – 70-80 percent.
When should you salt the water?
As soon as the water boils. When the water starts to boil, add salt. And then after a couple of minutes, paste. In advance, in cold water, do not put salt.
Why do you need to salt pasta at the beginning of cooking, and not at the end?
If it is salted at the end, then it will be salty only on the outside.
What salt is best for salting water?
It is more convenient for me to salt sea coarse. But in general, it doesn’t matter.
How hard should the water boil when you put the pasta in it?
It should boil, that is, its temperature should be 95-100 degrees.
Do I need to pour olive oil into a pot of water?
No. It’s completely useless. Don’t do that at all. It doesn’t give any effect. The legend about the benefits of adding oil probably arose because oil is added to homemade pasta, because it sticks to each other more if you do not mix it right away. Don’t add oil, it doesn’t affect anything at all.
What kind of heat should be used to cook pasta?
On medium. Water should always boil, but not too much.
Do I need to cover the pot with a lid?
Not necessary. A cover is needed if the tile is weak. The point is not in the lid, but in the fact that the water boils all the time of cooking.
What does the time written on the packs mean?
If, say, twelve minutes is written on a pack, then after twelve minutes it is neither undercooked nor overcooked. Ideal for a child, for example.
To make al dente pasta, you need to reduce this time by about 10%. It is written ten minutes – boil nine, if eight minutes – then seven minutes fifteen seconds.
But when choosing pasta, I would advise you not to look at the cooking time, it does not affect the quality of the pasta – look at the protein content. In pasta, which is usually used in a restaurant, it is 14.5%. If this figure is below 12%, this is a poor-quality paste.
If the pasta is mixing with the sauce, when should you stop cooking?
There are two approaches. First: add 2-3 tablespoons of starch foam that forms during cooking to the sauce, remove the pasta from the heat a minute earlier than the time indicated on the pack, and cook the pasta already in the sauce for a minute and a half.
Second: when the pasta is ready, drain the water not completely, but leave a little – and when the pasta is put into the pan, it merges with the sauce, so it’s enough to mix everything quickly – and the pasta is ready.
Do I need to rinse the paste with water?
Rinse? I’m shocked. I hope no one does that. It’s like washing a car when it’s raining. Even worse: all the salt that remained on the surface of the pasta will go away, all the starch, which then helps the pasta to connect with the sauce.
Do I need to stir the pasta while cooking?
You can stir several times, at once and every four minutes, especially if there is not a lot of water and the pan is not very large.
How does the cooking time depend on the type of pasta?
It depends on the thickness of the dough in the pasta itself: the thicker the dough, the longer it takes to cook.
Is the cooking time for factory-made pasta different from fresh pasta?
Factory-made takes longer to cook because it dries more, and this helps it hold its texture. Fresh needs two to three minutes – depending on whether durum wheat flour is added.
I would say that if you make only ordinary flour and eggs, then you need only a minute – and half a minute along with the sauce.
2 comments
I wish I could say that this was all common knowledge to me, but alas, as a single dad, this was incredibly informative, especially the part about….*looks around*….about the oil.
I’m glad the tips were helpful to you! Never be afraid to learn and try new things in the kitchen, it’s fun 😉