What Is The Simplest Way To Cook Pasta

Pasta won't stick together if you add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil to the water while its cooking.

Always add the pasta after the water starts boiling. If you add the pasta before the water boils, it slows down the boiling process, which causes the pasta to clump together. So let your water start boiling before you add the pasta.

To avoid having the pasta water boil over coat 1" of the inside of the top of the pot with olive oil or vegetable oil.

When steam from the just-served, ho pasta condenses, there will be a puddle pooling on the plate. To prevent the puddle, wait a few minutes until the pasta stops steaming before putting it on the plate.

Better Pasta Storage

If pasta is a real passion for you, invest in a spaghetti canister for proper storage. They are available at most supermarkets.

Caution

Do not put uncooked pasta in see-through plastic or glass containers. Exposure to light contributes to the break-down of the vitamin content that's in fortified pasta. Stored in airtight, not-see-through containers in a cool, dry place. Fortified pasta will retain its benefits for up to 18 months stored this way.

Cooking pasta is easy and there are ways to make sure you cook perfect pasta every time. Americans eat an average of 25 pounds of pasta a year per American. Now that's a lot of pasta and a lot of pasta cooking going on.

The best way to tell you how to cook pasta is to follow the directions on the package if you are using a package of store bought pasta. If you do you'll find that you will cook perfect pasta almost every time. You want your pasta cooked al dente or chewy not flabby and its important to use a bit of olive oil in your pasta water and stir your pasta often to keep it from sticking together. Be sure to salt the water you are cooking pasta in. When your pasta is done pour it into a colander so you can rinse it well with hot running water to wash away any excess starch.

You can reheat most pastas by placing what you will need for a serving in a wire basket and dipping it briefly in a boiling pot of water. If you know your going to need to be reheating your pasta before serving slightly undercook your pasta.

And there are a variety of sauces that you can use over almost any type of pasta. Below are the more popular sauces for pasta.

1. Genovese

Genovese is a hearty meat sauce made of hamburger meat or Italian Sausage and seasoned well with Italian Tomatoes and Garlic.

2. Marinara

Marinara is a meatless sauce made from vegetables and Italian tomatoes with garlic and various spices.

3. Alfredo

Alfredo is a sauce made from cream , a light cheese like Parmesan or Romano and garlic.

And those are the three most popular sauces. There of course many more sauces like pesto , Neopolitian , Becahemel and many others.You can try different sauces in your search for your favorite sauce. Some people like to add crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper to their sauces for the heat and flavor the pepper brings to the dish.

What ever your favorite sauce is just heat or cook it and serve it over your favorite pasta for a delicious tasty meal. Add garlic bread and a green salad for a complete meal. Keep in mind if you need a pasta that cooks in a hurry try angel hair pasta. If you want a heartier meal you can always add grilled or steamed shrimp or grilled chicken breast for a great tasty treat.

A Meat Sauce To Remember

Here is the recipe for my favorite meat sauce. And its great over almost any type of pasta though I prefer it over linguine.

For Your Recipe You Will Need.

1. Four 22 Ounce Cans Italian Tomatoes

2. Two Six Ounce Cans Tomato Paste.

3. One Pound Of Ground Beef.

4. One Pound Hot Italian Sausage Removed From Skins And Cut Up In Small Pieces.

5. One Pound Of Ground Pork.

6. Two Tablespoons Minced Fresh Garlic.

7. Four Regular Size Cans Chicken Broth.

8. One Tablespoon Italian Seasoning.

9. One Tablespoon Oregano.

10. One Teaspoon Basil.

11. Four Large Purple Sweet Onions Diced Up Fine.

12. One Each Red , Green and Yellow Bell Peppers Diced Up Fine.

13. Two Ribs Of Celery Diced Up Fine.

14. One Teaspoon Sea Salt.

15. One Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper.

You want to start with a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet. Sauté your onions , bell peppers and celery until done. Set aside.

Next in the skillet brown your meats until they are all well browned.

Now you can combine all of your ingredients in a large stock pot and cook on medium heat for two hours. If your sauce gets to thick add another can of chicken broth. Do not add water to your sauce. This is an excellent meat sauce or you can make meat balls and add to this wonderful sauce. Either way it is one of the best meat sauces I have ever had and it will be perfect over your favorite pasta. Remember to serve fresh grated Parmesan cheese on the side.