Pasta Made Simple

Cooking pasta:
- To test if the pasta is done, simply take a piece and try it out. The pasta is
not done because it sticks to the wall (what if you have a teflon wall? Or
stainless steel wall?). It's not done because it looks right or the timer went
off. The pasta is done when you taste and it tastes done.
- Cook pasta in a LOT of water. The water will take most of the starch out so
that your pasta does not stick. As a matter of fact, keep about a cup of it to
help "tighten" (or thicken) your sauce.
- Cook pasta in salty water. The water has to taste salty like sea water. This
is the only time for you to impart flavor to the pasta.
- You don't need to add oil to the water to keep it from sticking. Just be ready
with your sauce, don't let the pasta sit around in a bowl. They will stick
because they'll dry together. If you coat the pasta with oil before you mix the
sauce, the sauce won't adhere to the pasta...especially if it's water based
sauce.
- If you're going to have the pasta in the sauce to be baked, or to finish
cooking the sauce, pull the pasta from the water just slightly underdone and let
the pasta finish cooking in the sauce.
- Al dente...means to the tooth. I like my pasta just al dente, still a bit of a
chew to it. The one thing I can tell you about how the pasta look is that if
it's still white in the center, it's not done. Bite into the pasta and if it's
not a uniform color, it's probably not done.
- Select pasta to fit the sauce. Really, you can use any pasta for any sauce but
tradition and sense has a reason for the different pairings. For example, pasta
with ridges are best with creamy sauces (penne with alfredo). Pasta with nooks
and crannies (farfalle) are best with tomato sauces, the nooks and crannies hold
the pieces of tomatoes. Long pasta is best for oil based simple sauces such as pesto.

Browned Butter Pasta

While the pasta is boiling in the water, put some butter in a pan on medium high
heat. Watch the butter, when it's done foaming that means the water in the
butter is all gone. The next step is for the milk solid to start cooking and
become brown. Do not leave the pan, as soon as you can smell and see the butter
browning, take it off the heat. As soon as the pasta is done, toss in the butter
and top with good italian hard cheese (parmesan regianno, asiago, etc).

Voila...done

*additions*
- as you take the butter off the heat, add some finely chopped garlic and/or
herbs, toss for 45-60 seconds
- cook some finely diced onion in the butter. The butter will brown while
cooking the onions. add garlic and herbs at the end as above
- toss in sauteed or grilled vegetables (peppers, eggplant, zucchini, etc)
- for a fresh tasting pasta, parsley, chervil, chives are all good herbs to add
- for an earthy, warm, winter pasta, sage, rosemary, thyme are all good
- add capers along with the garlic at the end
- add olives
- add roasted pine nuts

*notes*
- best with long pastas or ridged pasta
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Pasta with tomato sauce

*extra step*
in a baking sheet/roasting pan, place fresh tomatoes cut in half mixed with salt,
pepper, olive oil and fresh herbs (oregano, rosemary, etc). Bake in 375 degree
oven for at least 20 minutes, check for doneness.

while the pasta is boiling, put some butter and olive oil in a pan on medium
high. When the oil is hot, add onion and other vegetables (squash, carrots,
brocolli, peppers, etc). Cook until vegetables have browned on the edges. Add
some finely diced garlic and herbs for 45 seconds or a minute. Add chopped fresh
tomatoes if you have them, if not, chopped can tomatoes with juice wll be ok.
Cook until the water from the tomatoes have thickened. Add the roasted tomatoes at the end to heat up. Add the pasta and top with hard italian cheese like Asiago, Parmesan etc

*additions*
- toss in sauteed or grilled vegetables (peppers, eggplant, zucchini, etc)
- add olives
- add capers with the other vegetables

*notes*
- best with farfalle or other pastas with nooks and crannies