How to...
Ever just needed to know how to do something? Make simple rice without a rice cooker? Save money by boning your own chicken breasts? Make something from "scratch?" You've come to the right place, because here "right at home," we enjoy cooking and sharing tips and secrets that make every day cooking enjoyable and easy.
PastaTime to put on a nice big pot of spaghetti! Or maybe it's corkscrew pasta, or maybe even some elbows for mac and cheese. In any case, there are a few tools you'll need:
1. One big pot. It has to hold plenty of water. Once again, my dutch oven with the glass lid comes in very handy. 2. Water to almost fill the pot 3. Salt. I used to think this just flavored the water. But now, I'm pretty sure it changes the boiling temperature of the water, and makes the pasta cook better. 4. Oil. About a tablespoon will do. Sure, it helps keep the pasta from sticking together. I'll buy that. But.... it keeps the water from foaming all up and boiling over while you're cooking the pasta. Who knew? 5. A strainer or collander for draining your pasta. If you have one of those basket-in-the-pan setups, it works just fine. You actually put the collander in with the cooking water. At the end, you pull out the collander, and your pasta begins draining right away... no dumping into the strainer. Just be sure you're over the sink while you're doing this. 6. Pasta. Well of course. I use a one pound package of dry pasta. It usually takes about 10 minutes to cook once it goes into the pot. 7. Spoon. Slotted. I use plastic so I don't scrath my dutch oven. Here's how to do it. Method: 1. Put water in your pot. Hot or cold. Doesn't matter. I make mine about an inch or so from the top of the pot. 2. Add some salt (about a tablespoon) and some oil (about a tablespoon) to the water. 3. Cover and turn the heat up high! 4. When the water is at a mad-screaming boil, add your pasta and stir until the water comes back to a boil. Sometimes that takes forever, so I speed it up by putting the cover back on for a moment at a time (yes, you have to stop stirring to accomplish this). 5. When you reach the package directions' minimum cooking time, check the pasta by scooping out one piece, cooling it off a bit, and trying it out. AL DENTE is perfect. It's not mushy, and it doesn't taste like raw pasta. 6. If you're going to use the pasta right away, just drain it well in your collander or strainer and serve. If you're going to use this pasta in another dish and it will continue to be baked with some kind of sauce, you might want to pull it off the stove a full minute or so early. I call this AL VERY-DENTE. It will cook some more in your casserole. |