Pasta is easy to cook, but hard to get right unless we know all the tricks of the trade. Follow these rules to make perfect pasta.
How to Avoid Pasta Sticking
- Use enough water If there isn’t enough liquid in the pot, pasta will stick to the pan. Use plenty of water and make sure it will more than cover the pasta that will be adding after the water boils. The general rule of thumb is 4-6 quarts per pound of dry pasta.
- Heat water to a rolling boil. A rolling boil means that we can’t stop it from boiling if we stir the water. Once the boil is rolling, add the pasta slowly.
- Start timing the cooking after we add the pasta and the water begins to boil again.
- Don’t add oil. There is a common misconception that adding oil to cooking noodles will keep them from sticking but it isn’t true. In fact, adding oil to cooking pasta actually takes away from the flavor of our dishes because the oil will cause the sauces and seasonings to slide off the cooked noodles.
- To avoid pasta clumping together and sticking to the pan, stir the pasta frequently during the first few minutes that it’s cooking. That’s the time that the starch is released and if you stir it during this time, the stirring prevents the pasta from sticking like glue.
- Adding a pinch or teaspoon of salt to the pasta as it cooks, or to the water before it boils, is fine. The salt adds a little flavor to our dish.
How Long Should Pasta Cook?
Different pastas take different amounts of time to cook, but the average length of time is 8-12 minutes for dried pasta and 3-5 minutes for fresh pasta. Check individual packages for directions.
When is Pasta Done?
We’ve all heard the term “al dente,” but did you know that it means “to the tooth?” Al dente describes what ideal pasta should feel like when properly cooked. There should be a slight resistance when we bite down in the center of the pasta and as we chew.
If using pasta in a casserole, the texture will be better if the pasta is cooked the minimum recommended time; almost to the point of being slightly underdone, but just.
To Rinse or Not to Rinse
According to the National Pasta Association, the only time we should rinse pasta after draining is when we are going to use the pasta in a cold dish, or when we are not going to sauce and serve it immediately. If the pasta is going to be used later, or in a in a salad, rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain well.
Pair the Right Pasta with the Right Sauce
- Thin, delicate pastas, like angel hair or thin spaghetti, are better served with light, thin sauces
- Thicker pasta, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces, like alfredo
- Pasta shapes with holes or ridges, like mostaccioli or radiatore, are perfect for chunkier sauces
With so many varieties to choose from, pasta offers a variety of meal options. Cooking pasta correctly will help make our recipes even more delicious.
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