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Pasta Tips




Source of Recipe


Karen


List of Ingredients




Have you ever wondered what al dente meant and how to achieve it. Well, cooking al dente just means it is cooked to the firm stage. Here's how you too can prepare perfect pasta.

In a large saucepan, heat 5 quarts of water per pound of pasta. For smaller portions of pasta use:

4 quarts water - 12 oz. pasta
3 quarts water - 8 to 10 oz. pasta
2 quarts water - 6 oz. or less pasta

Heat water to boiling; add salt for flavor, if desired (about 2 teaspoons per pound of pasta). There is no need to add oil; if plenty of water is used, pasta won't stick together. However, I've used butter for years and found it to be helpful. Plus, for those of you on special diets cut the salt way back.
Add pasta gradually to boiling water.
Cook uncovered according to recommended time on package, stirring occasionally. For best results, Do Not Overcook.
Drain pasta; serve as desired.

Re-Heating Pasta Cook Top or Range:

Place portions of pasta in a metal colander and immerse in pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and serve as desired.

Microwave:

When tossed with sauce, cooked pasta re-heats well in the microwave. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave 30 to 60 seconds depending on portion size.





Other Pasta Cooking Tips:

A range of cooking times is usually provided on each package to accomodate personal preference; the first cooking time typically provided in the cooking range is al dente, the second cooking time is for softer pasta.
There's no need to rinse pasta after cooking unless it will be used in cold salads or if you plan to store it in the refrigerator. Unrinsed pasta "holds" sauce better.
Toss hot pasta with sauce as soon as possible to prevent sticking. When storing cooked pasta (without sauce) in the refrigerator, toss with a tablespoon of vegetable oil per pound to prevent it from sticking.
Whether you use homemade or prepared sauces, plan on 1/2 cup of sauce per two-ounce pasta serving for red sauces, and 1/4 cup for white sauces.
For baked dishes like macaroni and cheese or tuna noodle casserole, reduce pasta cooking time by one-third.

Note--Cooking is basically common sense. Use your better judement as to what works for you. Read the labels and adjust acordingly.


How To Store Pasta:

Store uncooked pasta in a tightly sealed package or container in a cool, dry place. Store and use non-egg pasta for up to three years and egg pasta up to two years.
Cooked pasta can be refrigerated. Toss each pound of cooked pasta with one tablespoon vegetable oil -- refrigerate covered for three to four days. For best quality, refrigerate pasta and sauce in separate containers.


Can You Freeze Pasta?

The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You'll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.
Time-starved cooks benefit by preparing pasta dishes ahead of time and freezing. Combination dishes with red sauce (like lasagne) freeze best. Prepare recipe as directed, but DO NOT BAKE. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to two months. To bake, remove plastic wrap and replace foil.

Frozen Dish:
Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Refrigerated Dish:

(thawed in refrigerator after freezing)
Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour and 15 minutes (Lasagne or Jumbo Shells)
Bake at 350°F. for 40 to 50 minutes (manicotti).
For simple dishes with a sauce, like spaghetti and meatballs, prepare the sauce ahead of time and freeze. Do not freeze the pasta -- most shapes take less than 20 minutes to cook and they taste better freshly prepared.


Buying Pasta:

When purchasing pasta as a main dish, plan for two ounces of pasta per person, although hearty eaters may prefer four ounces. Pasta expands in size as it cooks -- the chart below shows the number of cooked cups from eight ounces of uncooked pasta.
To Prepare 4 Servings:
Uncooked = Cooked
Long Shapes
Spaghetti (thickest) 8 oz.= 5 cups
Thin Spaghetti 8 oz. = 4-1/2 cups
Vermicelli 8 oz.= 4-1/2 cups
Angel Hair (thinnest) 8 oz.= 4 cups
Linguine (flat) 8 oz.= 4-1/4 cups
Fettuccine (flat) 8 oz.= 3-1/4 cups
Soup Shapes:
Ditalini 2 cups (8 oz.)= 4 cups
Orzo 1-1/3 cups (8 oz.)= 3 cups
Alphabets 1-1/3 cups (8 oz.)= 4-2/3 cups
Tubetti 1-1/3 cups (8 oz.)= 3 cups
Short Shapes:
Rigatoni 3 cups (8 oz.) = 4-1/2 cups
Mostaccioli 3 cups (8 oz.)= 4-1/2 cups
Ziti 3 cups (8 oz.)= 4-1/2 cups
Rotini 3 cups (8 oz.)= 4 cups
Elbow Macaroni 2 cups (8 oz.)= 4 cups
Shells 3 cups (8 oz.) = 4 cups
Egg Noodles 5 cups (8 oz.)= 5 cups
Bows 4 cups (8 oz.) =5 cups

Specialty Shapes for Stuffing or Layering:
Manicotti 12 tubes =12 tubes
Jumbo Shells 28 shells = 28 shells
Lasagne 10 pieces = 10 pieces



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