FoodDrink Pasta Dishes

First of all, let me just say this. I love both Chinese food and Italian food. Don't get all excited and start thinking I am bashing on any particular culture. I am not; in fact I am attempting to take a man's view on cooking Italian. Both styles are mega delicious and should be consumed in great quantities.

1. Italian wine: Need I say more? Ever hear of a good Chinese wine? I think not. Maybe a Saki, but as far as I am concerned, it's an acquired taste.
2. Complexity: Husbands who don't venture into the kitchen much tend to feel more comfortable with something not as complex. Spaghetti and meatballs is really not too tough.
3. Lots of variations: You can start with any kind of pasta, dump anything on top of it, and you have transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. Anything in your pantry or refrigerator is fair game.
4. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are beautiful. They come in so many varieties, and can be spiced in so many ways. How can you not like them?
5. Simple ingredients: We have very good Chinese friends who invited us to dinner once. She asked me to grab something out of the refrigerator for her while she was creating our culinary delight. Upon opening the refrigerator, I saw items that I have never seen in my refrigerator before. There was funky plant life and animal parts that I did not think you could buy much less eat. This was one well stocked unit but I would have to imagine it would take a while to buy all those ingredients. Italian refrigerators seem a little simpler. Besides, gizzards and chicken feet just don't work for me.
6. Neater noodles: Italian noodles are just more fun to me. You get all kinds of noodles in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can buy them in boxes and bags or make them yourself. Chinese noodles, while delicious, seem to have less variety.
7. Easy to make: For some reason I just can't get my white Anglo Saxon attempt at Chinese food to taste authentic. I never seem to have the one ingredient that creates the magic touch. In Italian cooking, I have everything I need,( which is the fab four: olive oil, onions garlic and basil), and it is usually just comes down to adding more of "this" or "that'
8. Impersonations: I just don't do a good imitation of an Asian, but I can get you going with my rendition of Vieto ala beanie. Everyone can do a good Italian imitation. This is the part where cooking is becomes fun. (its easier to make fun of your own) I love to entertain my children with my cheesy attempts at cultural impressions. It's better received to kiss your fingertips in appreciation than to muster up a large belch.
9. Italian food tastes better the next day: My grandmother would make sauce, but we were never allowed to eat it until the next day. That's because all the flavors came together while it sat overnight in the refrigerator after assembly. What I once thought was a cruel thing to do to a boy, turned out to be a rewarding exercise in patience. (check out our pasta fagioli, most excellent the next day)

And the number one reason....(Actually #10)

Garlic: As far as I am concerned, garlic is the center of the universe. I can't get enough of it. I love the smell of it, I like it on my hands, I like the way it smells in the kitchen, I like it on bread, in sauce, on pizza or in pesto. Heck if I could get away with garlic sheets on the bed. (you get the idea) Italians love to cook with it and its versatility is certainly bound to make it the signature of any dish. Sauté' some with some onions and olive oil, it can make a grown man cry.

Tony Scorch is a contributing editor to Technocooks. You can find more articles about Italian Recipes and Restaurant reviews at our blog. We also carry a nice selection of Pasta Machines that we own and review. May you be covered in garlic or your favorite spice!

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Almost everyone eats some chicken and a lot of people eat a lot of chicken. Either way, they almost always have leftover chicken to deal with and there are a zillion recipes out there from which they can choose. A few are really good but most of them are forgettable. Even those that are good neglect to warn you that, once a chicken is cooked the way you like it, further cooking will not make it any better and quite often will ruin it. One must be very careful not to overcook leftover chicken and King Ranch Chicken is one recipe that will not do that.

A word of caution is in order. Quite often a person who is a good cook will look at a recipe like this one and have the urge to get creative. For example, instead of a can of mushroom soup they will want to saute fresh mushrooms and blend them into a real cream sauce. Big mistake! Stick with the recipe because it was never meant to do anything but feed a crowd of hungry ranch hands.

You will need:

4 cups of leftover chicken, white or dark meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbs butter
1 tbs canolo oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10 ounce) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas cut into quarters
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until slightly soft but not brown. Remove to a large bowl and thoroughly mix in the chicken, onions and peppers, diced tomatoes and both cans of soup

Arrange one-third of the tortilla quarters on the bottom of a 13X9x2 greased baking dish. (You can also use a souffle dish which makes it easier to arrange the tortilla quarters) Top the tortillas with one-third of the chicken mixture and sprinkle evenly with two-thirds of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice, reserving two-thirds cup of cheese. Cover the top loosely with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand for ten minutes before serving.

All you need is a good salad and maybe a few warm tortillas to complete the meal.

NOTE: If you have no leftover chicken just poach some chicken breasts in chicken broth, cut them up and go for it.

For more recipes, cooking suggestions and other food information go to Chef Dugan's web page: ineedtocook.com

Chef Dugan is the author of Help-I Gotta Cook!, awarded Cookbook of the Year by Books and Authors in 2007 and winner of an international award. The book is a comprehensive Cooking Guide as well as a 325 recipe Cookbook and was written for people who find themselves needing to cook but also needing a little help. As the book cover says, it's almost like having a cooking instructor in your kitchen!

You can learn more about Chef Dugan, who has cooked more than 40,000 meals, on his webpage http://www.ineedtocook.com and also access his blog http://help-ineed2cook.com

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Do you always wonder how eating right can help you improve as an athlete?

Michael Phelps is not human. He is not a human being. If you watched the Olympics this past summer, you probably heard about his preposterous 12,000 calorie a day diet. He eats pounds and pounds of pasta on a daily basis. One may ask if he really needs all that energy. In fact, he does, if he did not eat enough calories, he loses weight. He actually needs to eat enough in order for his body to stay at its peak levels. Pasta is a great source of energy because it is a complex carbohydrate. I have always loved pasta and therefore most of my cookbook contains tons of pasta recipes.

Complex carbohydrates are usually whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits. They are comprise of three types of dietary fiber: cellulose, hemicellulose, and gums, also known as starches. It is true starchy food like bread and pasta are high in calories, but they are not actually. Starchy foods provide ~four calories per gram compare to nine calories per gram in fat. This is why, many researchers have proven pasta recipes are included in some of the best athletes daily diet regime. Athletes usually eat nutritionally enhanced pasta, such as whole eat, whole grain, high fiber pasta, and pasta with omega-3. You can actually find these at your local grocery store.

As a regular consumer, my goal is to discover not only economical feasible food, but healthy as well. And being avid about pasta recipes, it is comforting to know pasta is an excellent source for carbohydrates. Keep in mind; there is a HUGE difference when someone is talking about simple carbohydrates and high glycemic index.

I consider pasta meals actually a healthy meal because studies have proven carbohydrates such as pasta is vital to an athlete's diet. Carbs is like fuel for the body. I am not going to get into the specifics on how it works, but our body breaks down what we eat, stores as glycogen in our muslces. Athletes' jobs are to store as much glycogen in their bodies so they can perform at their best. Even after you exercise, eating protein is very important in replenishing the glycogen you lost during heavy activity.

Enough with the facts, here are my eating diet. Pasta, pasta, pasta, and more pasta. Eat pasta before you run, the carbs you are consuming are very helpful. Also, eat after heavy activity (running, lifting, etc), and do not forget to rehydrate yourself. By the time you are feeling thirsty, too late, you are already dehydrated.

However, do not go looking at all the pasta recipes and stuff yourself with enormous portions of pasta everyday. Proper nutrition is VERY important to athletes. In fact, too much pasta can actually hurt your body. Make sure you are consuming carbs, not fat. Eating pasta with melted butter, excessive pasta sauce is not an athlete's best friend. In addition, the timing of eating is very crucial. If you eat a giant meal before competition, you might as well wave the white flag. A more appropriate strategy is a healthy amount at breakfast or lunch. Eating pasta at earlier meals gives your body plenty of time for the food to process through your body system.

All in all, take care of your body by choosing carefully what you put in your mouths. And again, athlete's best friend's are pasta recipes!

I hope you found out information you were looking for when reading my article. You can find one of my favorite pasta recipes over at this site Pasta Recipes The site is run by myself and some friends with easy recipes to help you even on a limited budget.

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Spaghetti
Spaghetti is one of the three types of pasta which all pasta machines will make. These are long thin tubes which are used in Italian favourites such as spaghetti Bolognese and spaghetti carbonara. Lots of pasta makers will also have settings to let you choose how thin or fat you want your spaghetti strands.

Lasagne
The second type of pasta which all pasta makers are able to produce is lasagne. These are the large flat sheets of pasta which are used in the over-baked dish lasagne al forno. Although this may seem quite simple to make without the help of a pasta maker, the pasta machine will actually let you roll them much thinner than you would easily be able to do manually. This lets them cook quicker and you can produce a dish with many more layers of pasta and meat.

Fettucini or Tagliatelle
Fettucini are long ribbons of pasta which are known as tagliatelle outside of Rome. These are also most commonly found in carbonara dishes or fetuccini alfredo. These are the other pasta which virtually all pasta makers are equipped for.

Linguine
Linguine, which translates to English as 'little tongues' are like a flattened spaghetti. These are commonly used in the Campania region of Italy and are the pasta of choice in many seafood dishes. If your pasta machine offers fettucini then it is quite likely that it will also be possible to make linguine.

Ravioli
My personal favourite, ravioli are the small parcels of pasta which have a filling inside, which is most often some type of cheese or meat, but can be almost anything you fancy. Choosing a pasta machine which can also make ravioli will let you get a lot more choice in terms of the meals you can prepare with your pasta machine. Ravioli are a very fiddly pasta to make manually and having this feature on your pasta machine will no doubt save a lot of time and irritation!

Macaroni
Macaroni, or maccheroni, is popular in the US in the dish macaroni cheese. These are the small tubes of pasta which are curved around to give a shape which is kind of like half a tyre. Being able to make macaroni with your pasta machine may be a great bonus if you have kids as they usually find it much easier to eat than messy spaghetti.

Other Shapes
Some of the fancier machines may also let you make many more shapes and styles of pasta, although if you can make each of the different types described here then you will be able to use these in a diverse range of Italian cuisine. Any extra shapes that you can make may be a bonus but are not necessary to make the pasta machine a worthwhile investment for your kitchen.

UK author who is meeting a need for website reviews of the best kitchen and cooking equipment by publishing several sites including Pasta Machine and Pasta Maker

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While there are many ways for cooking Italian pasta, a few offer the user a nicely cooked non-sticky noodle to work with. In many of the dishes that the Italians make, noodles are used in conjunction with other ingredients. A sticky, starch ridden noodle is not only not as tasty, it is hard to work with, and not as appealing to look at. When you are cooking you want your dish to not only smell and taste good, but to also look good too. There are ways to ensure that your pasta is cooked right and can be used easily as part of a dish or the main course.

Cooking With Oil

When you begin to boil your pasta the best way to help make a great non-stick noodle is to add a tablespoon of olive oil to your water. Cooking Italian pasta this way ensures that when you are ready to drain your noodles they separate easily and do not have a starchy build up. Noodles that stick together can truly affect the dish you are making in a negative way. Lasagna needs to have noodles that are not torn or bunched. If you have a huge build up of starch and try to separate the noodles for use, you risk destroying them and therefore destroying your dish's presentation. The oil will not affect how the pasta tastes or other ingredients that you add later. It just coats the noodles finely to guarantee that they come out unscathed.

The Cold Water Trick

Do not have oil to use, or cannot use it? Then try using the cold water trick when cooking Italian pasta. What you do is boil your pasta as usual. Then rinse it thoroughly with cold water. This is can be tricky if you are making pasta as a main dish and want it hot. But what you are doing is rinsing the starch off the noodles so that you can easily separate them without breaking them. This is a very reliable method in pasta cooking for spaghetti and lasagna. These pasta dishes are heated with sauces and other ingredients so the rinsing does not usually affect them. You do not need to rinse the noodles too thoroughly. A quick rinse and stir with your hand in the colander usually does the trick and is enough to get the starch's sticky nature off the noodles. Most times this will only cool your pasta a bit and not make it too cold.

A Touch Of Salt

When cooking Italian pasta you will want to use a pinch of salt. The salt is not for flavoring and will not get into your noodles. It is to help bring your water to a quicker rolling boil. Salt helps to raise the salinity, which lowers your boiling point of your water. This makes cooking faster and shaves off some time that it takes to get the process going. Boiling water already takes long enough, By adding salt you can cut that time in half so you and your family do not have to wait too long for that homemade Italian meal.

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com

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Salad is no longer just about dishes purely composed with vegetables. Recently, pasta salads have also taken their place on salad bars everywhere. They have been perfect companions when it comes to family reunions, potluck dinners and even when people are eating inside their favorite restaurants. This is because pasta salad is very easy to prepare but delicious too. It's just perfect for you to create one for your own dinner table at home.

One thing wonderful about pasta is that these days, they come in different shapes, sizes and colors. This feature may spark some creativity within you when choosing a pasta type. From the usual spaghetti and elbow macaroni to tiny shell or angel hair pasta, most grocery shelves are jam packed with varieties. As such is pasta's downside since with its many kinds, it's sometimes hard to decide which one is to be used.

If you're having a hard time in choosing, it's always easier to just prepare traditional macaroni salad. It's been a favorite when it comes to family dinners and picnics and can be made with most of the pasta varieties. Add in a little mayonnaise, sweet pickles and hard boiled eggs, some mustard and dill, or even onions and cheese cubes. It's going to be a perfect macaroni salad as long as it accounts for your taste.

If you're tired of the same old mashed potatoes or rice dishes every time you have a meal, you can always make a pasta salad to take their place. Pasta salads make great side dishes too. They go well with all kinds of meat like fish, chicken, beef or pork. Also, everyone will like the change, making mealtime more enjoyable for your family.

Pasta salads are mostly not served hot so remember to cool the pasta before adding any of your desired vegetables and dressings. For the vegetables, you can either add them fresh or frozen. To top it all off, add in your favorite dressing to the mix. But if you're in a fix, you can always try Italian or Ranch dressings since these are the ones mostly used for pasta salads.

As I mentioned earlier, pasta salads are great to take along picnics and potluck dinners too. For picnic style salads, you can either use Orzo or Tabbouleh pasta to act as their base. These pastas are wonderful kinds that quite resemble rice grains. Use them to create warm or cold pasta salads that will stretch, making them ideal for feeding crowds of people.

If you're gearing into the health side, pasta salads can still be an ideal choice. To make it better, use wheat pasta for the base, add some fresh vegetables and some low calorie or low fat dressing of your choice. Your salad will definitely taste so good that no one will even care or know how healthy your creation is.

Pasta salads are easy to make and the possibilities in making them are endless. While there are already plenty of pasta salad recipes that are already known and loved, you can always mix up the menu a bit for a bit of surprise. It's all about your favorites, your favorite pasta for the base, add your favorite vegetables and other ingredients, your favorite dressing, and before you know it, people will like to know the recipe you used to create such a masterpiece. That is why once in a while try using pasta salad as a side or main dish for your family. You'll surely love the results afterwards.

There are many ways for you to approach preparing some recipe for salad in your household. Please visit the Food Menu Blog to read more cooking ideas that you will certainly love to share with your family and friends.

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Italian Food

Did you know that Italian food is the most popular cuisine for eating out throughout the world? The fact that Italian food is extremely healthy due to the use of fresh ingredients has further raised its value. Most Italian food is very versatile since it is usually made with pastas. Pasta: When in Rome and whenever Italian food is the top choice among ethnic cuisines, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Pasta

Is opening a can of spaghetti your idea of fresh Italian pasta? Pasta, no doubt, plays a large part in most traditional Italian food , and few cultures know how to employ a tomato the way that Italians can. Italian cooking is full of marvelous single pasta dishes made with all types of vegetables and pulses. Italian food is all about combinations of delicious local flavors, a simple sauce, a sprinkling of parmesan and of course real Italian pasta. Pizza and pasta are popular the world over, and the average Italian consumes 28kg of pasta each year. When made with fresh egg pasta instead of dried lasagna noodles it can be an amazing treat for the taste buds. The Kinds of Pasta Used In the days before industrialization, dry pasta made from durum wheat, water, and a pinch of salt (spaghetti, rigatoni, and so on), was easier to make, and therefore more popular, in the South, where warmer temperatures and increased sunlight hastened the drying of the pasta.

History

Italian food encapsulates history, tradition and folklore, plus an acute and unique awareness of nature and seasonality, which truly provides 'food for thought'. "The Italian civilization of the table is a product of Italian history, and Italian history is marked by division and violence as much as it is by beauty and creativity, by barbarism as well as civilization. Each of the more than 20 regions of Italy has a different history and geography upon which their methods and ingredients of cooking are based. Food is also culture and it is important to keep traditions alive as they are part of our history.

Sauce

Sauce from a jar is just fine, but homemade always has the best taste. Italian Dishes in the North tend to be a bit 'heavier' than that in the South, think the ingredients used for Spaghetti Carbonara compared to the classic healthier and lighter tomato sauces of the South. It's hard to imagine Italian cooking without its river of tomato sauce, yet before this time, the tomato was just a weed in the Aztec corn fields. More than just pasta, seafood anchors Italian cuisine Italian food brings to mind pasta and sauces.

Simple

For hundreds of years Italian cooking has followed a very simple principle: food is best when it's cooked fresh and in season. The reason for this culinary fragmentation is simple: With the exception of the nobility and the clergy, before most Italians simply didn't travel, and as a result every town and every valley has something unique. The main benefit of Italian cuisine is its healthy balance, the basic ingredients being cooked in a simple style whilst retaining their original goodness and freshness.

Italian food is regarded today as one of the premiere cuisines in the world, famous for exquisite meals consisting of varying ingredients such as olives, balsamic vinegar and pesto. Italian food is simple, vibrant and good for you. Italian food is not just for Italians, but for everyone.

Kath Ibbetson's passion is Italian Food and she has shared this with hundreds of people. Find out more about it at FoodTheItalianWay.com.

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If you are looking for a great Italian dish that will not only fill the family up and offer some variety at the same time, then you would be best served to think about some lasagna ideas. This dish has become very popular in North America and for good reason, it is chocked full of tasty goodness. The Italians really stumbled on this one, and lucky for the rest of us they then perfected it. There are many ways that you can enjoy lasagna today; finding the right lasagna for the right occasion is going to require some serious thought.

For The Veggie Lovers

If you have any veggie lovers or even true vegetarians within the family fold, you will be happy to know that there are many great veggie lasagna ideas out there. Usually lasagna will contain some form of meat with the cheese and sauce, but this meat can be substituted with a variety of vegetables today and it does not take away from the dish one bit. With choices such as zucchini and squash, you have many great options. This is a baked dish, so the vegetables that will be used within the recipe will get anything but soggy. It can be enjoyed by those that just do not want meat in their food, even if they are not vegetarians at all. This makes it a wonderful dish for the summertime, and there will be more than a few compliments on it.

Cheese A Plenty

If you are looking for great lasagna ideas, then you may want to consider the type of cheese or even the quantity of the cheese that you are using. You can basically use whatever cheese that you please to make this type of dish, and there are many that will actually change the taste of the dish dramatically. You can spice the lasagna up rather quickly if you decide to use a cheese such as pepper jack or a hot havarti. When you are thinking about making great lasagna, you should also consider adding more cheese than you normally do. Adding an extra cup or two of cheese to the recipe can go a long way in pleasing the cheese lovers in the family. This is a recipe that has the chance to make everyone in the family smile at dinner time, and this will give you a sense that you making your family happy.

Still Popular In Italy

When it comes to lasagna ideas in Italy, there are no shortages of recipes. Lasagna is one of those timeless and forever appreciated foods that fall into the comfort food category. When you are looking for a fantastic dinner idea, then the great lasagna in your recipe book may be exactly what you have been looking for. This is the type of dish that you can serve to the kids, and you will not have to worry about them turning up their nose at the dinner table.

Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com

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Depending on where you live and what your ethnic heritage, your family probably consumes lots of potatoes or lots of pasta. If you're looking for some creative options on how to use spaghetti to spice up dinnertime, here are 5 things you can do with spaghetti that you may not have thought of!

1. Use it cold in a salad. Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse well in cold water. Create a dressing with 1/3 C mayo, 1/3 C plain yogurt, 1 T sugar, 1 T soy sauce and 1/2 t fresh ground ginger. Toss the pasta and the dressing with 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed, 1 red pepper, cooked until tender, but still crisp, 1/2 cup slivered peanuts, 8-oz of water chestnuts, 1/2 cup slivered carrots, 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chunked, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with 1/2 cup fresh cilantro.

2. Make a spaghetti pie. Spaghetti pie is like a combination of spaghetti and lasagna, with spaghetti noodles used as the pasta. There are plenty of variations on spaghetti pie, but here's an easy one this is truly delicious. Cook 3/4 lb of spaghetti to al dente. Put about half of the noodles into a lightly greased spring form pan and cover with 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce. Next, add a meat and cheese mixture. (Try 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 3 large eggs, 1/2 t ground oregano, 1/2 t salt, 1 T basil and 1/4 t salt. Mix together with 1-pound Italian sausage, browned with green pepper and onion. ) Use half the meat/cheese mixture as the third layer in your spaghetti pie. Repeat the layers and top with some mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before you slice it.

3. For a quick, easy rice pilaf, just cut the spaghetti into one-inch lengths, brown them in a pan with a little butter and add some rice!

4. Make a frittata for brunch: Do you always make too many spaghetti noodles? Here's a great idea for that left over pasta! Pre-heat the broiler on your oven. Put a little olive oil into a frying pan that can go in the oven and heat it over medium heat. Add 2-4 cups leftover spaghetti and spread it out over the pan. Heat through for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, beat 3-4 eggs and add a splash of milk or half-and -half, two big handfuls of grated Romano cheese and salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti in the pan. Let the eggs cook, lifting the edges as you would an omelet, so the uncooked eggs can run to the bottom and cook. When the eggs are nearly done, put the whole works under the broiler until it is lightly browned. Watch it close- it only takes about a minute. Remove from the oven carefully and slice into wedges. This dish is good either hot or at room temperature.

5. Here's a quickie to use up that leftover spaghetti: Stir-fry thin strips of zucchini and yellow squash with olive oil, oregano, basil & salt & pepper. Then toss the cold pasta into the pot and get it all coated. Add some Parmesan on top and enjoy!

These recipes are so tasty, the next time you prepare spaghetti, you may find yourself making too many noodles on purpose!

For more more yummy spaghetti recipes, check out http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com

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Endless recipes exist that have pasta as an ingredient. It is a simple to fix, healthy food that is very satisfying. However, if you do not know how to cook pasta properly, your efforts with the dish will be wasted.

By far the most common mistake made when preparing pasta is overcooking it. Mushy or sticky pasta leaves much to be desired.

10 Tips for Cooking Pasta

1. Pasta should be cooked in about 3 to 4 quarts of water for a pound of pasta. It must have room to move around. If there is not sufficient water or the size of the pot is too small, the pasta will tend to stick together.
2. Add a Tablespoon of coarse salt (a little less if it is fine) per quart of water. This precaution helps to avoid sticking.
3. If you need to prepare the pasta in advance, toss it with olive oil. and place in the refrigerator in a zip top baggie. Always use a good quality olive oil.
4. Do not put oil in the water. It will cause the sauce to slide off the pasta. Besides it doesn't prevent the pasta from sticking anyway.
5. A serving of pasta is considered to be about 1/4 pound.
6. Bring your water to a rapid boil before adding the pasta. A rapid boil means that large bubbles will constantly be rising to the top of the water. Add the salt to the water when you add the pasta.
7. Stir immediately to prevent sticking. Continue to stir frequently until the water returns to a rapid boil.
8. Bring the water back to a rapid boil as soon as possible. Cover the pot and leave the heat on high. But don't walk away. Keep a close eye on it to avoid boiling over. Once the water is boiling, remove the cover and stir. Turn the heat down to medium high and finish cooking.
9. Drain the pasta immediately when it is done. You need to remove all the water to prevent the sauce from becoming watery. A colander is handy to drain the pasta.
10. Avoid "mushy" pasta. Even if you don't like your pasta "al dente", there is a point when it is done. A good starting point is to cook according to the time recommendations on the package. But a good guide is to cook fresh pasta fettuccine, lasagna) for 3 to 5 minutes; thin dry pasta (shells, rotini, spaghettini) for 6 to 9 minutes and thick walled pasta (penne, spaghetti, ziti) cooks in 12 to 15 minutes.

Practice until you can prepare the pasta to your idea of perfection. Then it is time to explore the different recipes for sauces and added ingredients to the pasta dishes. After that you will be ready to invite your guests for a little trip to Italy as prepared by the "Chef in Training".

Grandma Carol (as Carol Smith is sometimes called) has been enjoying cooking for over 50 years. Some of her favorite times have been in teaching people to cook that have never done so before. Take advantage of her expertise. Visit her blog

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