Noli Italian Cafe – Eugene's Best Italian Restaurant

Pasta Cooking is Easy with a few Helpful Tips

Pasta cooking is not difficult. Once you learn a few basics your pasta should come out perfect everytime.

Cooking pasta is best done in a tall pot with large amounts of boiling, well-salted water. Use a minimum of 4 quarts water and 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every pound of pasta. Pasta should be cooked until al dente, literally “to the tooth” in Italian, or just slightly firm when bitten.

To test pastas for doneness, break apart a piece of the pasta and check for a tiny, white chalky dot in the center. The pasta should be chewy and firm. Fresh pasta should have an appealing, chewy texture that is not too soft and not too chewy. Pasta cooking times depend on whether the pasta is dried or fresh, as well as the size and shape, with fresh pasta often needing only 60-90 seconds to cook.

Tips for Pasta Cooking to Perfecttion:

There are different theories on cooking pasta, and even the chefs don’t all agree, but here is what I was taught and has worked best for me.

The best way to cook pasta is in a pasta pot specifically designed for pasta. These are designed to be tall and you can maintain a rapid boil without boil-overs on your stove all too common with other pots. Many also have a built in colander for easy draining.

To oil or not to oil the water – It never made sense to me to add oil to the pasta water as it seems to float on the top anyway and doesn’t do a great job of preventing sticking. I did hear a chef say that the oil does not prevent sticking but does prevent water boil-overs. I tested this theory and it sure didn’t prevent my pasta water from boiling over. Most Italian chefs I know do not use oil because it is not necessary and if oil coats the noodles, this would prevent the sauce from sticking to the noodles which is the goal for most pasta dishes. The best way to prevent sticking while cooking pasta is to stir it. I generally stir after the first minute or two as the pasta starts to stick. Make sure the pasta is fully separated and it generally will not stick much after that – just stir occasionally until done. The one exception would be lasagna. It has a way of sticking and is hard to stir. You can try some oil for this one.

I do, however, add salt because it imparts some flavor but it really is a myth that the salt will make the water boil faster. You don’t add near enough salt to affect the boiling time, however, the pasta will absorb the salt. I like to use natural sea salt for its superior flavor, but remember your dish may not need much salt if you add it to the pasta water. The salt is not necessary if you are on a salt-restricted diet.

Cooking pasta times vary. For dried pasta – stick with the directions on the box. Freshly made and store-bought fresh pasta cooks very quickly. It will take a little practice and experimentation but here is a general guide:

Cooking Tips:

Add pasta to the water once it reaches a rapid boil in an uncovered pot so that the pasta can move freely and won’t stick.

Use 1 quart water for every 4 ounces of pasta. For dried pasta, follow the directions on the package. Your own freshly made pasta will cook much faster.

Cook until al dente (on tooth) which is how the Italians cook their pasta. Many Americans cook pasta until it is quite mushy. Pasta should have a slight firmness to it which has the added health benefit of making it lower in the glycemic index for those needing to watch their blood sugar.

For pasta that will be baked in a sauce, reduce the cooking time as it will continue to cook and soften while baking.

Never rinse your pasta after cooking. This will cool your pasta which will then need to be reheated, and the pasta needs a little starch on the surface for your sauce to cling to the pasta. You can, however, rinse pasta for pasta salads if you prefer.

Making fresh pasta by hand:

A small batch of dough can be made quickly by hand and then rolled and cut in your pasta machine. Here is a basic dough recipe to get you started. I blend a little semolina flour with unbleached flour to get a firm dough but one that is still easy to work with. After you get some experience, you can add more semolina if you would like a firmer pasta.

Ingredients:

Preparing your pasta dough:

1. You can make a well in the center and prepare the dough in the bowl, or dump it out on a floured cutting board and prepare your dough there.
2. Add 1 tsp olive oil and one whole egg into the well. Holding a fork at an angle parallel to the table, stir the egg mixture quickly and let the flour fall into it from the sides. Keep stirring this way until you have formed a sticky dough ball. You will probably have leftover flour, so only use what you need.
3. Dump the dough ball onto a floured surface and knead, incorporating more flour into the dough as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, even in color and no longer sticky.
4. To knead the dough, push down on the ball with the heel of your hand, then give the dough a quarter turn, fold it over onto itself and push away from you again with the heel of your hand. Keep turning and pushing until you achieve the desired consistency – this usually takes approximately 10 minutes.
5. Once you have finished kneading, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.