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
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Sue_Smith
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