There are a lot of different varieties of pasta: spaghetti, elbow macaroni, penne, shells, ziti, etc. Cooking each type may vary and it is best if you check out the packaging for some special instructions. Fresh pasta may only take 2-3 minutes while the regular pasta will take at most 12 minutes to cook. Remember, the only way to cook a perfect pasta dish is if you have perfectly cooked the pasta.
So, how do we cook pasta perfectly? Here's how:
- In a big pot, pour in water and bring to a boil. The amount of water needed depends on the amount of pasta you intend to cook. For example, if you're going to cook pound of pasta, then about 200 g of water is enough. The important thing is for the pasta to have enough space to swirl and get cooked in the pot. If the pot is too small and there's not enough water, the pasta will not be able to cook properly and might end up sticking together. Boiling the water before pouring the pasta is very important. This will avoid the pasta to be drenched in too much water therefore, avoiding it to be soggy.
- Pour in about a teaspoon of salt. The amount of salt will depend on how salty you want your pasta to be but a teaspoon is enough to cook pound of pasta. As an option, you may also put oil (although I do this all the time). I put about a tablespoon of oil to ensure that the pasta will not stick together.
- Pour in the pasta and let it boil.
- Give it a stir once in a while to avoid it from sticking to each other.
- Check the package for the length of time that you need to cook the pasta. Cooking time usually varies on the type of pasta you are cooking so it's best to refer to the packaging and check for special cooking instructions.
- If the pasta is already soft and starts to have a yellowish, translucent color, get a piece and rinse it with cold water. Bite the edge. Perfectly cooked pasta should be chewy and if you still see a white spot in the middle, then your pasta needs a few more minutes to cook.
- Once your pasta is cooked, remove the pot from heat and strain it. It is then best to pour the pasta directly to the sauce so you can mix it together.
Cooking any type of food can be really challenging and it takes time and effort to make it perfect. Just don't be pressured if you don't make it right the first time, there will always be a second time to try. But if you're cooking something really complicated and have no idea how to do it, it's best to have an experienced cook around. I happened to have a really amazing on-call cook, my dad. Most of the recipes I cook are from him and I had the chance of watching him work his magic in the kitchen so it was easy for me to cook those on my own. Whenever I have any question, I always call him and I guess knowing that he is only a phone call away, gives me confidence in cooking any kind of recipe.
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