Gryphon's Aeire Food Fact - Pasta Primer

Pasta Primer:

Always cook pasta in salted water, but don't add the salt until the
water boils.  Salted water has a higher boiling point, so will take
longer. Add 2 tablespoons of coarse (kosher) salt for 1 pound of pasta.
Taste the pasta to determine if it is done.  Perfectly cooked pasta
should be "al dente" or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.

Another advantage to cooking pasta "al dente" is that it preserves some
of the vitamins and minerals that are lost into the cooking water with
longer cooking times.

If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further
cooking, undercook the pasta by one-third of the cooking time specified
on the package.

The only time you should rinse pasta after draining is when you are
going to use it in a cold dish, or when you are not going to sauce and
serve it immediately.  In those cases, rinse the pasta under cold water
to stop the cooking process, and drain well.


Displayed on: Thursday - 24 May 12 - 05:26:31