YPDIW: Pasta

If there were ever one great thing to come out of Italy, besides pizza, it would be pasta. Pasta is one of the most versatile foods in the world, it comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors and can be paired with a long list of sauces, vegetables, proteins, cheeses, herbs, and anything under the sun.

While many of us would love to have the time and patience to cook fresh, homemade pasta all the time, the modern American doesn’t have that time, so they reach for something that all Americans have in their pantry, boxed dry pasta. This is fine because boxed pasta is convenient, cooks quickly, and can last for a long time when kept in a dry environment. I always keep a few varieties of pasta in my pantry for nights when I’m tired and want a quick dinner.

Now, as easy as pasta is to cook, there are many ways that it can go wrong, from the water content to cooking time and everything in between. Today, I am here to talk about those issues and common myths or misconceptions about cooking the food that built Italy.

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One of the biggest mistakes people make is not using enough water for cooking the pasta they want to serve.

Pasta is made of starch, and the starch expands when exposed to heat and liquid. If you do not have enough water to cook the pasta, the pasta could clump together and run the risk of not cooking enough as the pasta absorbs the water while cooking.

For 1/2 pound of pasta, I would use at least 3 quarts of water, this sounds like a lot, but this is crucial for well-cooked pasta. It doesn’t have to be exact, but know that you will need more water than you think.

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The next common mistake is not letting the water come to a proper boil.

I have seen people drop their pasta into a pot of simmering or half-boiling water and the problem with this is that the pasta will sit in hot water and take longer to cook. The best advice I can give is to be patient, and let the water reach a full rolling boil before you even think about adding the pasta.

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Myth: Adding salt to cold pasta water will make it boil faster.

While adding salt to pasta water is essential, adding it too early is not ideal. Salt does not make water boil faster, what it does is it raises the boiling point of the water, meaning that the water will boil at a higher temperature, but it won’t make the water boil faster.

Adding salt too early is a problem because the salt will sit at the bottom of your pot and start to drill small holes into the pot, which, over time, can render your pot unusable. Add the salt when the water is almost boiling, and it will not only dissolve properly but also help you know that the water is ready for the pasta.

The general rule I use is for every 1/2 gallon of water, I’ll use one tablespoon of salt, it sounds like a lot, but the point of adding salt is to season the pasta as it cooks.

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Myth: Adding a splash of olive oil to the pasta water will help keep the pasta from sticking together. Even if you’ve seen professional chefs doing this, it’s wrong.

We’ve seen what happens when you mix water and oil; the oil floats on top while the water sinks to the bottom, and the same happens when adding oil to pasta water. The oil floats on top of the water, and even if a small amount of oil gets inside the pasta, what will happen is that the oil can cause the sauce you make to slide off the pasta.

Save some olive oil and add salt to the water like people have been doing for centuries.

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Now that the water is boiling, it’s time to get cooking; the question is, how long do you cook the pasta? If the pasta is undercooked, it will be too crunchy, but if it’s overcooked, it will be mushy.

Different sizes and shapes of pasta will cook at different times, but the best advice I can give you is to read the cooking instructions on the box and set a timer, that way you’ll know your pasta will be cooked perfectly every time. Also, every few minutes, take a piece of pasta out of the water and bite into it. If it’s too hard, let it cook a few minutes longer. If it’s cooked, then go ahead and drain the water.

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Myth: You can check if pasta is cooked by throwing it against a wall and seeing if it sticks. I don’t know how this idea got into people’s heads, but it is wrong.

This is the logic; as pasta cooks, it releases a sticky, starchy substance that helps the sauce cling to the pasta. The longer the pasta is cooked, the more this substance is released, and there is a point where the pasta releases so much of this sticky substance that it could stick to a wall, but by that point, the pasta is more likely to be overcooked.

The best way to check if your pasta is cooked is by taking a piece out of the water and biting into it. You can also cut into a piece to see if it’s cooked; if there is a thin ring of white in the center, it is done!

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Alright, now you have your perfectly cooked pasta, but do you dump all of the starchy pasta water down the drain? Absolutely not!

Once the pasta is done, it’s a good idea to reserve about 1/2 cup of the water it was cooked in. This water can come in handy to help thin out your sauce to the perfect consistency, and the starch will give the sauce a velvety mouthfeel.

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Myth: Running the pasta under cold water once drained will keep it from sticking together…there is some truth to this.

If you plan on serving the pasta cold, like in a pasta salad, then rinsing the pasta will work to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta from clumping together, but for hot dishes, it’s best to leave the pasta as it is. You do want the pasta to be slightly sticky, as that will give the sauce something to grab onto, plus the starch adds to a silky mouthfeel.

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One of the biggest mistakes you can make is cooking the pasta all the way through and then starting on your sauce, because what will happen is the pasta will get cold and begin to clump together.

Whether it’s a marinara, pesto, alfredo, or carbonara, it is best to prepare the sauce before you start cooking the pasta; that will ensure that the pasta and sauce are both hot and ready at the same time. You could even begin the sauce before you heat the water for your pasta. This is good for tomato-based sauces, or any sauce that requires a long cooking time.

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Ok, sweet, you have your pasta and sauce all ready to go, so now you’re just going to dump the pasta onto your plate and dump the sauce right on top…you thought I was serious there, didn’t you?

This is just about the worst thing you can do when plating pasta because what will happen is the sauce, especially heavy sauces like ragu or Bolognese, will weigh down the pasta, and it won’t hold its shape.

The best thing to do is mix the pasta with the sauce and let it cook together for a minute. This does two things, the sauce lends flavor to the pasta, and the pasta lends some starch to help thicken the sauce. This is why pasta is usually cooked to al dente, or until it’s not entirely soft and has some bite, as the pasta will continue cooking inside the sauce.

Bonus tip: Fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or oregano are a delicious way to liven up any pasta dish, but it’s best to add them at the end of cooking to preserve their color and flavor.

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If you’ve done all these things correctly, you’ll have a plate of tender, flavorful pasta that will leave your guests begging for seconds.