For those of you who are new to cooking, try learning how to cook a pot of pasta which is very easy to practice! Pasta is one of the foodstuffs that are sold at a price that is not too expensive, can be cooked quickly, and can be served in various ways. So if you don't know what to serve for your dinner, try the tips listed in this article! While you're boiling pasta, don't forget to check your pantry or refrigerator for pesto sauce, other pasta sauces, or a variety of vegetables you can add to your pasta. In just half an hour, a delicious plate of pasta will be on your dining table!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Boiling Pasta
Step 1. Fill 2/3 of a large pot with water
Since pasta takes up a lot of room to move around as it cooks, make sure you use a large pot. For example, if you want to cook 450 grams of pasta, use a saucepan that has a capacity of at least 4 liters. After that, pour water until it fills 2/3 of the pot to boil the pasta.
If the size of the pan used is too small, it is feared that the pasta will clump when cooked
Step 2. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil
Place a pot of water on the stove, then put the lid on. Then, turn on the stove over high heat to bring the water to a boil. The water has come to a boil if any steam escapes from behind the lid.
Covering the pot will make the water in it boil faster
Tips:
Add salt only when the water is boiling. Adding salt before the water boils can change the color of the pan or corrode the surface of the pan.
Step 3. Add 450 grams of pasta and a pinch of salt to the boiling water
After the water boils, open the lid of the pot and add 1 tbsp. salt and 450 grams of pasta into it. If you're cooking long pasta, such as spaghetti, that won't fit into the pot, try letting it sit for 30 seconds, then pushing the soft part into the water with the help of a spoon or fork.
- The salt serves to "season" the pasta when it's boiled. As a result, the taste of pasta will be richer when cooked.
- If you're not sure what portion you need to cook, try checking the pasta package for recommended serving portions.
Tips:
The amount of pasta can be reduced according to taste. If you only want to cook 110 grams of pasta, use a pot of about 2 to 3 liters.
Step 4. Set the timer at 3 to 8 minutes
Stir the pasta with a special fork so the strands don't stick together, then cook the pasta without covering the pot. After that, check the pasta packaging for the recommended boiling time, and set the timer for the minimum duration. For example, if the recommended time is 7 to 9 minutes, set the timer at 7 minutes.
Thin pastas, such as angel hair, will cook faster than long or thick pastas, such as fetuccini or penne, which generally only cook after 8 to 9 minutes
Step 5. Stir the pasta occasionally as it boils
The surface of the water should continue to bubble as the pasta cooks. Stir the pasta every few minutes to prevent the strands from sticking together.
If the water looks like it's about to overflow, reduce the heat to the stove
Step 6. Bite the pasta to check for doneness
Gently scoop up a piece of pasta when the timer goes off, then set it aside for a while until it cools down. then, bite into the paste to check its softness. Many people prefer to cook pasta until it is al dente, which is soft on the outside but still a little dense on the inside.
If the pasta's texture is still not as soft as you'd like, try boiling it again for a few minutes before doing the next check
Part 2 of 3: Draining Pasta
Step 1. Take about 240 ml of pasta cooking water, then set aside
Slowly, put the heatproof cup into the pot to scoop up some of the water from the pasta stew. Set the cup aside while the pasta is draining.
If you want, you can also use a vegetable spoon to add about 240 ml of the pasta cooking water to the cup
Do you know?
Pasta cooking water can be used to make the pasta texture more “wet” after being mixed with the sauce.
Step 2. Place the perforated basket in the sink, then put on heat-resistant gloves
Place a large basket in the sink and put on heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands from splashing hot water. Even when the stove is turned off, very hot water can burn your hands if accidentally splashed.
Step 3. Drain the pasta using a slotted basket, then gently shake the basket to remove any remaining liquid
Slowly pour the pasta into the slotted basket so that the cooking water drips down the sink. Grasp both sides of the basket and gently shake it to drain the remaining liquid.
Step 4. Do not add oil to the pasta or douse it with cold running water otherwise the pasta will be covered with sauce
Chances are, you've heard the advice about brushing freshly cooked pasta with oil or dousing it with water to keep the pasta strands from sticking together. Unfortunately, doing so can prevent the sauce from sticking to the surface of the pasta.
Step 5. Return the pasta to the pan, then pour the sauce of your choice over the surface
Remove the drained pasta basket from the sink, then transfer the pasta to the saucepan you used to boil the pasta. After that, pour as much sauce as you like into it.
If the texture of the sauce is too thick, add a little more pasta cooking water until the sauce is thinner and able to coat the pasta better
Part 3 of 3: Blending Pasta with the Right Sauce
Step 1. Mix the short pasta with the pesto sauce or vegetable sauce
First, boil the penne, fusili, or farfalle pasta until done, then mix the pasta with the pesto sauce made from basil leaves. To make the pasta taste fresher, add chopped cherry tomatoes, as well as grated peppers and zucchini.
- To serve as chilled pasta lettuce, refrigerate the pasta for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors of all the ingredients to combine better.
- If you don't like the taste of traditional pesto, try serving pasta with a pesto sauce made from a mixture of dried tomatoes. Due to its milder flavor, the pesto sauce is especially delicious when paired with a rich cheese, such as parmesan.
Step 2. Mix cheese with macaroni or clam paste to make a bowl of creamy pasta
For a very rich sauce, mix butter, flour, milk and cheese. After that, put the macaroni or clam pasta in a bowl with the sauce and serve immediately, or bake the pasta with the sauce in the oven for a richer texture and flavor.
Get creative with different types of cheese to find the flavor that best suits your taste. For example, you can use monterey jack cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, or smoked gouda cheese
Variation:
Cook large scallop pasta until done, then fill the inside with the ricotta and parmesan cheese mixture. After that, pour the marinara sauce over the surface of the pasta, then bake the pasta until the cheese is melted and cooked through.
Step 3. Serve wide pasta with meaty sauce
First, boil the pappardelle, penne, or bucatini pasta, then place the cooked pasta into a serving bowl. After that, pour a spoonful of meat sauce, such as bolognese, over the surface of the pasta, then stir gently until the entire surface of the pasta is well coated with the sauce. After that, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the surface of the pasta and serve the pasta while it's still hot.
If the texture of the sauce is too thick, don't forget to dilute it with enough pasta cooking water
Step 4. Mix the long pasta with creamy alfredo sauce
To make long pasta surfaces (such as spaghetti, fetuccini, and angel hair) to coat well with the sauce, try using food tongs to mix the pasta with Alfredo's creamy, rich-tasting sauce. To make a classic alfredo sauce, all you need to do is cook heavy cream with butter and garlic. After that, the sauce pasta can be served with grilled chicken or smoked salmon.
To lighten the texture and flavor of the sauce, melt the butter with the garlic and parsley mixture. Then, mix the pasta with the sauce
Tips
If you don't have a stove, pasta can also be cooked in the microwave
Warning
- Do not stir the pasta that is being boiled with a metal spoon. Since metal is a heat-conducting material, the heat from the pasta can spread across the surface of the spoon and make the spoon difficult to hold.
- Always be careful and wear heat-resistant gloves when draining pasta through the perforated basket. Remember, very hot pasta cooking water can splatter and burn your skin!
