Pasta dishes
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After completing a year of art studies at the Emily Carr University in Vancouver, she graduated from Columbia College with a BA in History. Jessica also completed an MA in History from The University of Oregon in 2013. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 2,691,928 times. Cooking a pot of pasta is one of the best kitchen skills you can learn. Pasta is inexpensive, cooks up quickly, and there are many ways to serve it, so if you don’t know what to make for dinner, boil a pot of noodles!
While they’re cooking, check your pantry or refrigerator for pesto, sauce, or vegetables you can toss in. Within half an hour, you can have a homecooked pasta dinner on the table. Since the pasta needs lots of room to move around as it cooks, use a big pot. 3 up the side of the pot.
If you use a pot that’s too small, your pasta is more likely to clump together as it cooks. Cook Pasta Step 2 Version 4. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Set the pot of water on the stove and put a lid on it. Turn the burner to high and let the water come to a boil. You’ll know the water is boiling when you see steam escaping from under the lid.
Covering the pot with a lid will make the water boil faster. Tip Although you will be adding salt to the pasta water, don’t add it before the water begins to boil. This can discolor your pot or corrode its surface. Cook Pasta Step 3 Version 3. If you’re cooking long noodles, such as spaghetti, that don’t fit in the pot, wait about 30 seconds and then push them into the water using a spoon or pasta fork. The salt will season the noodles as they cook, which will give you flavorful pasta.
If you’re unsure how many servings of pasta to cook, check the side of the box for recommended serving sizes. Tip: You can easily halve or quarter the amount of pasta you wish to cook. Set a timer for 3 to 8 minutes. Stir the noodles with a pasta fork to break the noodles up and leave the lid off the pot. Then, check the pasta package for a recommended cooking time and set a timer for the minimum time that’s suggested. For example, if the box says to cook the noodles for 7 to 9 minutes, set a timer for 7 minutes.
Thin pasta, such as angel hair, will cook faster than thick or long noodles, such as fettuccine or penne, which take closer to 8 or 9 minutes. Cook Pasta Step 5 Version 6. Stir the noodles occasionally as they boil. The water should continue to bubble as the pasta cooks.
Stir it every few minutes to prevent the noodles from sticking together. If the water looks like it might boil over the sides of the pot, turn the burner down to medium-high. Cook Pasta Step 6 Version 6. Bite into a noodle to see if it’s cooked enough for you. Carefully scoop a noodle out of the water when the timer beeps and set it aside to cool a little. Bite into the noodle to tell if it’s still hard in the center or if it’s as soft as you like. Most people prefer to cook pasta until it’s al dente, which means it’s still a little firm in the center.
If the pasta is still too hard for your liking, boil it for another minute before checking it again. Carefully lower a mug into the pot and scoop some of the pasta water into it. Set the mug aside while you drain the pasta. You can use some of this pasta water to loosen the noodles after you toss them with sauce. Cook Pasta Step 8 Version 6. Set a colander in the sink and put on oven mitts.
