Cooking pasta is not as easy as it seems at first glance. It would seem that you just need to throw pasta into boiling water, stir and wait until they are ready. However, many housewives cannot cook them properly. At first they are not ready, just a little more - and that's it, pasta is overcooked and hopelessly spoiled. But how to determine the readiness of the paste? Are there any secrets to making delicious pasta? Of course yes! And they are quite affordable for an ordinary housewife.
Right Pasta
Before you start cooking pasta, you still need to learn how to choose it. After all, it is right to cook it to the state of al dente. It also depends on the quality of the pasta used. The fact is that when they are boiled in water, starch is released. For this reason, the paste is boiled. The more it will be in pasta , the harder it is to cook "undercooked" pasta.
What determines the amount of starch in it? Of course, from the flour used. For real Italian pasta, they only take one that is made from durum wheat. On the domestic shelves you can find products of different quality. Only the paste that is marked with the letter "A" is suitable. It costs a little more, but after cooking it retains its shape better and does not boil.
Cooking pasta
Buying the “right” pasta is half the battle. It is necessary to weld them to the desired degree of readiness. There is nothing complicated and intricate in this, but many neglect simple rules. As a result, instead of a delicious dinner, some kind of pasta porridge is obtained. So what is the secret to making al dente pasta? The most important thing is maintaining proportions. For every 100 grams of pasta, 1 liter of water, 10 grams of salt and 20 ml of olive oil are taken.
First you need to boil water in a large pan, then add salt and pasta. Stir well several times so that they do not stick together and cook until cooked. But how much time it will take depends on the type of paste. Usually time is indicated on the package. 1-2 minutes before the expected readiness of pasta you need to try on the tooth. As soon as they seem a little undercooked, lay on a sieve and drain the water. Season with olive oil. The pasta is ready!
Al Dente is ...
Many, of course, are familiar with this term. However, not everyone fully understands what it means. Literally from Italian it is translated as "by the tooth." This name is due to the fact that the degree of readiness of pasta is determined only by taking the sample. If the pasta is slightly springy when cracking, it means that it is ready and it is time to drain the water.
However, many, despite this, still manage to cook pasta incorrectly. Some undercook them, others digest. The fact is that the degree of readiness al dente is a very thin line between raw, prepared and spoiled pasta. The score goes literally for seconds. Therefore, you need to try pasta “by little”. They should be easy to crack, but at the same time remain a little hard inside. Being able to choose and cook pasta correctly, you can try to cook it with various sauces.
Carbonara paste
One of the favorite Italian pasta dishes is carbonara paste. It is made from available products, but it turns out a very substantial dinner. So, first you need to make the sauce. For him, chop 2-3 cloves of garlic, it is best to chop finely. 150 grams of bacon or ham cut into thin strips. In olive oil, fry the garlic a little, add bacon to it and continue frying until it is browned.
Cheese, ideally parmesan, grate. It will need about 50 grams. Blossom the yolks with a whisk, along with salt and ground pepper. Beating is not necessary. Add 150 ml cream and grated parmesan. Mix everything well. Boil spaghetti to al dente. Carbonara pasta will be ready after all 3 ingredients are mixed: fried bacon, cream sauce and boiled spaghetti.
Macaroni with cheese and tomato
Perhaps this is the easiest recipe where pasta is used. A recipe with a photo of each step is not even needed to prepare it. For 4 people you will need 300 grams of any pasta (penne, farfalle and so on), 200 grams of cheese, 2-3 tomatoes, salt, pepper and vegetable oil for frying.
Boil the paste as indicated on the package. Fold in a colander and drain the water well. Grate any hard cheese . Dice the tomatoes (you can remove the skin if desired, lowering them in boiling water for a few seconds) and fry in olive oil. Add to them pasta, salt, pepper and cheese at the end. Mix everything well and warm over low heat for another 3-4 minutes. What could be easier and tastier than classics? That's right, nothing.
Spaghetti bolognese
Another favorite recipe from Italy is spaghetti bolognese. It is very important that in this dish the pasta is exactly al dente. This greatly affects the final taste, as meat sauce does not go well with digested pasta. It is with its preparation that you need to start.
Prepare vegetables for bolognese sauce. Grate the carrots, chop the onion and 2-3 celery stalks into small cubes. In olive oil, fry onions with 500 grams of ground beef, add 2-3 tablespoons of mashed tomatoes in your own juice. Then put carrots and celery, fry all together for another 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining tomatoes (a total of 400 grams will be needed) and simmer over low heat until cooked. Salt and pepper only at the end of cooking so as not to spoil the taste of the sauce.
Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti. You can serve them by mixing with the sauce, or you can separately, as much as you like this paste. The recipe with a photo of this dish involves a different serving. Although spaghetti laid out in the form of a nest with meat sauce in the middle look very impressive.