Wizard Recipes

You can make your own pasta,but even the most devoted and skilled home cooks I know do so just a few times a year. (There are exceptions; you might make Spaetzle, more often, because it’s so easy).

So for the most part you’re going to buy pasta. You can buy fresh, which is available in several levels of “freshness”: At good Italian or Asian markets, fresh noodles are made regularly and are usually very good.

Supermarkets also sell “fresh” pasta that falls somewhere in between fresh and dried; it varies in quality but is usually too expensive and not all that terrific.

Almost everyone buys dried pasta routinely. For most occasions, you want to buy pasta that is 100 percent durum wheat. Ironically, though the flour comes from the States or Canada, the best pasta comes from Italy. Good pasta is easier to avoid overcooking and has a deeper, more appealing color and a texture that grabs the sauce better.

Cooking Pasta

With a few exceptions, you must cook pasta in abundant water; figure a gallon or so per pound (even a little more is better, and you can, of course, use less water and a small pot if you’re not cooking a whole pound). You should salt the water well too-a fistful is about right, but if your hands are small you need more than that (a couple of tablespoons).

It doesn’t matter much when you add the salt.  While the pasta cooks, adjust the heat to keep the water boiling and stir frequently.

If you have problems with sticking, it’s because you either don’t use enough water, don’t salt enough, or don’t stir enough. (And without enough salt, your pasta will be both sticky and bland.) No matter what you learned in college, adding oil to the water will not cure the problem. In fact it’s counterproductive, because it keeps the sauce from grabbing properly.

If your pot is not deep enough for spaghetti or other long pasta, either break the pasta in half or hold the noodles by one end and dunk the other. As the bunch softens, swirl the strands around until they bend enough for you to submerge the whole thing. Or get a bigger pot. Don’t undercook or overcook.

Easy enough to say and easy enough to do: When the pasta starts to soften, taste it; it’s done when it retains a little bite but is no longer chalky. If you cut a piece in half, you’d still see a little hard white bit in the center. At that point, get ready to drain; it will cook a little more on the way to the table and be al dente-literally “to the teeth” or what I call “tender but not mushy”-when you eat it. It doesn’t take much practice to get this right.

Don’t trust anyone’s pasta-cooking times. It varies from box to box and even day to day. Cook by taste and you’ll never go wrong. This holds true for every noodle you make, from fresh egg pasta made in your own kitchen to dried rice noodles from Thailand.

Draining, Saucing, and Tossing Pasta

Have a heated bowl ready; pasta cools quickly, and you want to eat it hot. A bowl from your cool cupboard is going to rob your pasta of heat immediately. It’s best to warm a heatproof bowl with hot water (you can often put it under the colander so that the draining cooking water heats it) or put it in a warm oven while you’re cooking.

Then drain, quickly but not thoroughly: in most cases, the pasta should remain quite moist. (Before draining, dip out a cup or so of pasta-cooking water and reserve in case you need to thin out your sauce.)

It was once true-in fact ten years ago it was true- that Americans ate more sauce on their pasta than Italians. But as scarcity has decreased in Italy, and all but the most traditional Italians have become “modernized,” you see what was once considered oversauced pasta all over the place. So sauce as you like, but for crying out loud don’t drown the pasta.

The real problem is that if a sauce is too thick we overcompensate by drowning the pasta with it, in an attempt to make the dish moist enough. If you have a thick sauce, one that is clumping up on the pasta instead of nicely coating it (or if you don’t have enough sauce), thin it out with a little pasta-cooking water, a tablespoon or so at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.

This technique is used by most home cooks in Italy, and pastacooking water can be replaced by stock or water you used for cooking vegetables.

Toss quickly; pasta is best when it’s very hot. Don’t worry about solids collecting at the bottom of the bowl; you can scoop them over the pasta after it’s served. Garnish at the last minute. Serve and eat immediately.

Pasta has become a weeknight favorite for many cooks; it’s nutritious, easy to prepare, and delicious. Best of all, pasta is extremely versatile. It can be rich and satisfying when combined with meat, light and luscious when tossed with vegetables or seafood, or positively mouthwatering when layered and baked until golden and bubbling.

We use dried Italian-style pasta for most of our recipes, as it is readily available. For special occasions, homemade or store-bought fresh pasta is an excellent choice.

Made with eggs, fresh pasta has a delicate texture that works well with creamy sauces. Dried pasta, made from flour and water, is more economical, lower in fat, and a good match for a wide variety of sauces.

BUYING AND STORING PASTA

For the best taste and texture, buy dried pasta made from durum wheat flour or from semolina flour. Store dried pasta in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year, but if it is made of whole wheat, store up to six months.

Even though clear plastic pasta storage containers are attractive, do not use them. Light destroys riboflavin, a key nutrient in pasta. We recommend buying pasta that comes in cardboard boxes for the same reason.

Store commercially made fresh pasta in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze for up to one month. Homemade pasta can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to one month. For the best results, don’t thaw frozen pasta before cooking.

PERFECT  PASTA

Cook the Right Amount of Pasta

Most packages list a 2-ounce serving size, but a more generous main-dish measure is 4 ounces dried pasta or 3 ounces fresh pasta per person. The cooked yield of pasta depends on its shape: Four ounces of tube-shaped pasta, like penne, equals 21?2 cups cooked; 4 ounces of long-strand pasta, like spaghetti, equals 2 cups cooked; 4 ounces of egg noodles equals 3 cups cooked.

Cook Pasta in Enough Water

Use at least four quarts of water for each pound of pasta. Cover the pot and bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat. Salt the water, then stir in the pasta.

Be Sure to Salt the Water

Pasta doesn’t contain salt, so it needs to be cooked in salted water to be seasoned properly. If you are concerned about the amount of sodium in your diet, rest assured that only 10 percent of the salt in the cooking water is absorbed by the pasta. The basic proportion is 2 teaspoons of salt per pound of pasta.

Stir Frequently

Stirring ensures even cooking and keeps pasta from clumping together and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do not add oil to the cooking water; it prevents sauce from clinging to the pasta.

Don’t Overcook Pasta

The cooking time on pasta packages is only a guide, so start checking for doneness before the suggested time and check often. To test pasta for doneness, remove a piece from the boiling water, rinse it briefly under warm water, and bite into it.

When pasta is perfectly cooked, it should be al dente (”to the tooth”) with no raw flour taste and a tiny chalk white center. After it’s drained, pasta will continue to cook from the residual heat and from the hot sauce with which it’s tossed. If the pasta is to be baked, undercook it slightly, since it will continue to cook in the oven.

Drain Well and Don’t Rinse

Drain the pasta in a colander, shaking to remove excess water. Don’t rinse pasta; rinsing cools down pasta and removes both the surface starch that keeps it firm and its essential nutrients. Only lasagna noodles and pasta for salad should be rinsed.

Serve It Hot

When pasta stands, it gets cold and unappetizingly gummy. So call everyone to the table while you’re tossing the pasta. To keep it as hot as possible, return the drained pasta to the cooking pot, which will still be warm, and combine it with the sauce there. Or warm the serving bowl and the individual bowls

The origins of this popular and versatile food are lost in the mists of history; several countries (China, Japan, and Italy, just to name a few) claim credit for pasta. Nearly every country, however, has some pasta variation to claim as its own.

The term “pasta” is used broadly and generically to describe a wide variety of noodles made from dough. The word “pasta” itself is thought to be derived from the Italian word for paste.

The main ingredients in pasta dough are flour-which is usually made from durum wheat and is called semolina-and a liquid. The dough is rolled out, cut or pressed into the desired shape, and readied for sale.

Pasta is sold fresh, frozen, or dried. Imported dried pasta is considered superior to American-made products, mainly because the imported pasta is made with only semolina, which does not absorb as much water and is pleasantly firm when cooked al dente (slightly firm).

What is Semolina? Semolina is a yellow, granular flour that is ground from durum wheat. The word is derived from the Latin “simila,” which means fine white flour. Semolina is made from the endosperm of the durum wheat seed. It has a high protein content.

Although it can be used in a variety of baked goods, semolina mainly is used to make pasta.Pasta also may include other ingredients. Some doughs have a little egg added.

Other ingredients may include soybean and mung bean flour, vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, beets, carrots), gluten, whey, herbs, spices, and flavorings. Color can be provided by vegetable purées or food coloring.

Pasta comes in literally hundreds of shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and colors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, groups it all into two main categories:

Macaroni-This includes just about every pasta shape and size. The FDA requires that macaroni be made from durum wheat flour or semolina. Ingredients such as salt, eggs, and flavorings also may be added.

Noodles-Noodles are generally made with softer durum wheat flours than semolina and contain egg. In addition, the amount of egg they can contain is limited to 5 1/2 percent of weight or less.

The shape and choice of the pasta you choose depend on what you like and how it will be served. A general rule is that thinner pastas are best in soups and stews. Pasta that is curved or tubular is thought to soak up creams and sauces better.

The color and crispness of dried pasta determine quality. White pasta should be slightly golden and translucent, not grayish or cloudy. Spaghetti should have the springiness of fresh twigs. A good-quality flat noodle will fracture in a jagged line when broken and not look starchy. Check fresh pasta for expiration dates.

Dried pasta should be stored airtight in a cool, dry place and can be kept almost indefinitely. Fresh pasta should have a pleasant aroma. It is highly perishable and will keep for several days in the refrigerator and for up to a month in the freezer.

Cooked pasta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Preparation Tips

Pasta is cooked by adding it to boiling water. If desired, add a pinch of salt for flavor and a small amount of oil to the water. The oil will help prevent the pasta from becoming sticky. Then, cook the pasta until it is done.

Doneness is mostly a matter of taste-how firm or soft do you like it? Many cooks use the term “al dente” in reference to pasta doneness. Al dente simply means cooking the pasta until it is firm to the bite.

Cooking time varies, however, depending on whether the pasta is fresh or dried. It also depends on whether the pasta is made from soft or hard flour. Generally, pasta made from hard wheat flour is cooked longer than pasta made from soft wheat flour. Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta.

If desired, rinse pasta with cold water after removing it from heat. Some pastas used in baked dishes-such as lasagna, manicotti, and cannelloni-do not require precooking, but they usually require a greater amount of sauce, which is absorbed by the pasta as it cooks.

Pasta that is cooked for a long time loses slightly more of its water-soluble B vitamins than pasta cooked al dente.

Serving Suggestions

Pasta itself is low in calories and fat, but sauces that are heavy and fatty, as well as other additions, can negate pasta’s nutritional advantages. Fortunately, healthy options abound.

Supermarkets offer a wide variety of reduced-fat pasta sauces or those that are vegetable- and herb-based. Tomato-based sauces are also easy-and quick-to make from scratch.

Simply use several cans of whole, peeled tomatoes, crush them, and then simmer them in a skillet until they turn “saucy.” Add desired seasonings (garlic, pepper, and salt work well) and a small amount of olive oil to the cooking mixture.

Top with reduced-fat cheeses. Pasta is also excellent served cold when tossed with a little oil, vinegar, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Jamie Oliver Cooking Pasta

Cooking pasta is very easy. So why is it that so many cooks ruin it? The fault is usually the cook’s inattention or his or her poor knowledge of a few basic facts. Pasta needs plenty of boiling salted water, about three times the volume of the dry pasta. A large amount of water keeps boiling while you add the pasta, a crucial factor for ending up with a firm outcome.

If the cook starts with a small pot of water, according to basic laws of physics, the water temperature drops drastically when you drop in the pasta compared to a large pot of water. To help keep water remain in furious boil, add pasta little at a time, not all at once.

Start your timer when the last batch is in the water. Use 1 tablespoon salt for every gallon of cooking water. Cooking without salt gives you a flat-tasting pasta that no sauce can cover up. Too much salt gives a sharp over-salted taste to whatever you mix it with.

Many cookbooks advise you to add oil to the boiling water to keep the pasta from sticking together. This is an unfounded myth. The oil remains on the surface of the water, only making it harder to wash the pot when cleaning up. Pasta won’t stick together if you keep stirring for a few seconds while adding it to the boiling water. After the water returns to a full boil, hang around and give your pot a stir once or twice. Good pasta will remain in distinct pieces.

Never, never cover the pot while cooking pasta. Some of the starch dissolves in the water during cooking, floats on the surface and the water boils over, making a terrible mess of your stove.

Instructions on the package give you a general guide about cooking time, but experience with the same brand is your best bet. When uncertain about cooking time, taste test the pasta near the end to avoid overcooking. Pasta should be cooked to a stage of, as the Italians say, al dente, or firm to the teeth. Fully cooked yet just slightly chewy, like barley grains in a soup.

If you overcook pasta and it becomes mushy, throw it out and start with a brand new batch. Feed the overcooked pasta to your dog. The cat is apt to have more gourmet sense and won’t touch it. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander. Good pasta does not need rinsing.

Cheaper pasta with its higher starch may benefit as you remove any remaining surface starch that helps to keep the individual pieces from sticking together. If you serve the pasta right away, shake the colander to remove as much water as possible. Add a little oil, preferably olive oil, to the still-warm cooking pot, just enough to barely cover the bottom.

Return the drained pasta to the pot, thoroughly stir the oil into it and warm it over low heat stirring constantly until most of the moisture has evaporated. Now the oil coats the surface of the pasta and keeps the gelatinized starch of neighboring noodles from sticking together. Within a minute your pasta should be hot enough to serve.

When you are baking a pasta dish like lasagna, which has plenty of liquid in the sauce, you don’t need to pre-cook the pasta. Disregard all such recipe instruction. Just layer the dry pasta with the rest of the ingredients and bake it for the usual time. By the time it is baked, the pasta will be soft and fully cooked. Try this method first with the family, before you serve it to dinner guests, to prove to yourself that it works. It saves an hour of anxiety should you try it on guests.

How do you decide how much pasta to cook? There are a number of kitchen gizmos available to help you measure the appropriate amount. Best and easiest is to weigh it. The average person eats about 3 ounces (85 g) of pasta by dry weight when it is the main entrée. Reduce that to 2 to 2½ ounces (55 to 70 g) when it is a side dish with generous amount of other foods. Take into account the individual appetites of the people you are serving, too.